The Curse of the Cul de Sac

The study is by Lawrence Frank, Bombardier Chair in Sustainable Transportation at the University of British Columbia.

Melissa Lafsky at The Infrastructurist writes, "The theory behind cul-de-sacs was that they lessened traffic, since they change the primary function of local streets - rather than offering a way to get anywhere, now they simply provide access to private residences. The problem is that this design inherently encourages car use, even for the shortest trips."