Some communities are limiting or outright banning cul-de-sacs, but residents still value the privacy and security they provide.
"Across the country, this staple of suburban development is drawing criticism from a growing number of planners and government officials, who say it should become an endangered species."
"Homeowners found that the cul-de-sac limited traffic, creating a sense of privacy, while encouraging ties among neighbors, who could hardly avoid one another. Developers liked the cul-de-sac because it made it possible to build on land unsuited to a grid street pattern and because home buyers were willing to pay a premium to live on one."
"But now the cul-de-sac is excoriated in certain quarters, especially by New Urbanists, as a detriment to security, community and efficient transportation."
Northfield, a city of 17,000 about 45 miles south of Minneapolis, passed an ordinance several years ago to severely limit the use of cul-de-sacs. Other cities have tried to reinvent cul-de-sacs as through streets, to the protest of residents.
FULL STORY: Why Some Towns Place Roadblocks on Cul-de-Sacs
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This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research