Best planned cities in America? (city hall, neighborhoods, manufacturing)
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What cities do you think have the best urban structure and design? They don't have to be big cities, but just 100000+. It's easy for small cities and towns to be well planned since they don't have to deal with density and mass transit. Any feedback is appreciated, thanks
Chicago, and it's not really close. Most of the big east coast cities suffer from being products of the colonial era. New York City probably did the best job of growing a grid, but the outer boroughs can still be a mess.
Western and Sunbelt cities just sprawled out of control.
Chicago has pre-automobile density, but it also has the post-fire grid. I believe the city has had little to no annexation after the implementation read, so outlying neighborhoods still adhere to the system.
I have always been a big fan of cities that have perfectly straight and consistent street grids. Philadelphia, for example, has always visually impressed me by how the square street grid is built around City Hall, which stands in the Center City loop.
Chicago is also quite impressive. It's straight street grid expands out seemingly indefinitely. During America's industrial age, Chicago was the nation's rail center and the dominant Midwestern center for manufacturing and commerce. The city was built to be highly efficient.
Chicago, and it's not really close. Most of the big east coast cities suffer from being products of the colonial era. New York City probably did the best job of growing a grid, but the outer boroughs can still be a mess.
Western and Sunbelt cities just sprawled out of control.
Chicago has pre-automobile density, but it also has the post-fire grid. I believe the city has had little to no annexation after the implementation read, so outlying neighborhoods still adhere to the system.
I think most Great Lakes cities have a similar situation in terms of a mix of design and minimal to no annexation after say the 1920's or 30's.
Chicago is also quite impressive. It's straight street grid expands out seemingly indefinitely. During America's industrial age, Chicago was the nation's rail center and the dominant Midwestern center for manufacturing and commerce. The city was built to be highly efficient.
I don't think people realize just how perfect Chicago's grade is. There is a zero block, and all blocks are uniform in size, and have a numerical assignment, meaning 800 West Anystreet is 8 blocks west of the zero point. Every eight blocks is a mile. If someone gives you an address, you know exactly where it is, that is, if you know the grid. Some old-timers will actually give you the coordinates just to soon as they'll give you the cross-streets, eg 1600 North and 800 West.
How about the original planned city, Washington DC? Four directional quadrants, streets in numeric or alphabetical order, avenues radiating from central points, low density, walkable, and subways (though aging) as well. We may like grids better, but DC is quite well-planned IMO.
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