Fused Grid

[shmohel 1]

I was just curious to know if anyone has had any luck using the "Fused Grid" plan for suburban development. I have been doing a bit of research on trying to find the most effective method for suburban development, and I cam across this idea.

As you can see from the picture below (taken from wikipedia) spaces between arterial roadways are divided into squares which themselves are divded into loops and cul-de-sacs. The middles of these roads provide space for open green lands.

It seems like a promising system to mesh the privacy and aesthetical value of non-grid systems, with the simplicity and traffic efficiency of a grided system.

Here is another picture of the idea. Click on it to go to a site with some real interesting information:

[Sam 163]

This seems exactly the method of layout I use in my cities. I find it extremely successful for residential, and quite successful for industry. Not so good for commercial, which relies on high traffic to be prosperous. I tend to favour bottom left, bottom right and mid left options, but also use a more freeform, less grid version. Will try to get some pics tomorrow if I can.

This is a much more freeform model:

Not quite what you were looking for but I have better ones.

[shmohel 1]

Awesome, I look forward to seeing your pictures. I did some further reading of the concept and in the first image above, it describes the pink sections as being zoned for commercial and other institutional facilities flanked by one way arterial roads. With this open space, it would seem a great place to be able to run rails or highways, in addition to more suburban suited commercial activity.

[simsmart 1]

Very... Suburban.

[pagenotfound 53]

This is exactly how im planning my new suburbs. Hopefully ill update my CJ with pics of it (RL is a pain in the arse)

[shmohel 1]

I'd love to see some pics when they are up

[SimHoTToDDy 2,938]

My subs so far have been more grid than not, but I still place as much green space as I  can into the oversized blocks. These suburbs are from an area very close to a major city, so I can say the density required the grid

anyway, here they are:

More in the 4th page of my cj (check sig)

I'm still working on more sub-urban areas, so I'm more than likely to try that style out.

-Todd

[shmohel 1]

Looks good. By having the roads on diagonals like that, looks like it adds lots more green space.

The idea with the Fused Grid would be to take those huge tracts of suburban area, then create inroads that either end in a cul de sac, or return to their originating road. This way, traffic is forced to the outer streets. I really am curious if this method is of any benefit in SC.

Let me know how it turns out!

[MrFingers 0]

I use avenue grid for downtown areas, and non grid outside so I can direct traffic along an artery pattern.

[SimHoTToDDy 2,938]

Well, you have found something that has sparked my interests. I have started on the layout of the first example  you gave us.

I looked at the wiki article and saw that each major block is about 40 acres or 1/4 mile^2. 1/4 mile converted into meters (i.e. sc4 units) is 402.336m, devided by 16m (one city tile) is 25.146tiles, which I obviously rounded down to 25 tiles. Anyway, since there are about 5 sub-blocks in each block, the size of the base grid came down to a nice 4x4.

I expanded the original grid of sub-blocks onto the main blocks and started the designs in the picture.

I like how the finished designs turned out, however I left out the one that didn't fit in as well. Also note I had to fit this into an existing network, so bear with me there.

Anyho, I just have to add the commercial strips and develop and  then I can tell how well this setup actually works!

-Todd

[shmohel 1]

O Wow! Looks Awesome. :-)

I am excited to see it come together. The second picture I posted that shows a more developed look is a link to a website that has a great background information about the plan. THe person that put it together also wrote this: http://www.cein.ca/nua/ip/ip02.htm

If you are interested, I suggest taking a look at it. Not too long, pretty easy read.

[SimHoTToDDy 2,938]

First of all, the articles are fascinating . Second, I have been working on this and have finished developing a section of this fused grid.

I added ground light rail (GLR) to the mix to hel pout with any traffic issues, plus it looks cool. That, in addition to the ground highway already in place, should be enough to maintain any commute. The best news is that the whole thing sustains itself with only medium density commercial, with jobs to spare. Meaning it should survive as long term format without the worry of no-job-zots (commute time too high).

However, the NAM is in use with perfect path finding and increased capacity x2 along with radical ordinance mod with "fastest method of commute" enacted. If you do not have these settings, the results may not be the same.

Zone layout:

How it looks:

And a nice closeup:

Well, its coming along! I actually plan on continuing this plan, its relatively simple and allows for excellent transport.

Maybe this answers your first question? LOL, I'm happy with it, and I'm a perfectionist.

    -Todd

[shmohel 1]

Looks great. I like the idea of running the rail thru the middle. What type of roads do you have around the commercial areas. When I test out this method I was thinking of taking an avenue and splitting it up. Like you mentioned a great advantage to this system is the flexibility placing jobs around the residential. I see you put a library in the residential area as well. Looks good, glad you like the system.

I realized I had not posted the originating article on this concept.

[Streetwise 3]

Well, I tried the fused grid layout with good results. I appended the fused grid unto a grid layout of a city with about 100k population.

Here's a shot of my zones (the gaps in the roads are where my road-top bus/subway stations are):

Here is my transportation congestion map. Notice how the congestion is present only on the outside of the system.

My land value grid is very green! And that query doesn't look too bad, either.

Of course, I will keep working with this fused grid design concept (these are great for my 'specialty areas'), and will post more results as I get them done

Great Topic and concept, BTW!

[Explodingsims 3]

Hmmm, Nice fusions here...

Somthing about all of them screams Suburbia.

[shmohel 1]

Hmmm. . . Glad to hear the congestion problem seems to be working in theory. One thing that might help is making those outer roads avenues. I love it that you tried with a Commercial area.

I can't wait to test it out myself. (just need to wait for those pesky law school finals to finish up)

[Jetsurf2002 0]

hmmm... never thought about doing it that way....

usually I just have random roads placed around first for a more real look and then add housing developments on those main roads since I copy what they do in New Jersey which is where I live. In the older towns around here they usually have grids..

and from the looks of it, fusion method seems to work mostly for those suburbs with low density, of course... and I love making suburbs so I'm going to try it out

[shmohel 1]

If you are attempting to replicate New Jersey, take a look at the image on the far right here:

That is the model that was developed and first used in the planned of Radburn, New Jersey.

As you can see from this chart it is HIGHLY efficient in terms of preserving the maximum amount of space for building with the least amount of roads. Traditionally, the center areas are reserved for parks and walking paths.

[Streetwise 3]

Originally posted by: shmohel One thing that might help is making those outer roads avenues.quote>

 

You mean like this?

This is what the zones look like (Yes, those are industrial zones there):

It's amazing how effective this fuzed grid design is in allowing this positive of a query on a dirty industrial building. Of course, raising DI taxes to 20% and having a school and a library nearby help, too, along with a lot of near-by 'fun areas' (seasonal trees, parks, plazas, ect.).

Another thing this fuzed grid design does is prompt me to slow down and put more thought into my speciality areas, such as this PEG pond consisting of two PEG stream ends back-to-back surounded by a PEG hiking trail.

BTW, about the second image: I did not notice how some of those industrial zones arrows don't point towards a road/highway until I uploaded it here, but there are still not any no auto access zots. Gee, maybe this fuzed grid design has powers that we can't explain LOL

Anyway, I'm going to try a diagonal design with fused gridding. Thanks for starting this great thread, and best wishes on your Law exams!

[Patricius Maximus 236]

Sounds like what I do...

[Fresh Prince of Wmbg 44]

Yeah this type of grid is common in Southwestern American cities like Pheonix, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. 

[SimHoTToDDy 2,938]

I thought I might post the progress of this project before I put it in my CJ today. This thread is the reason it was made after all.

If you would like to see some more of the area, stop by page 5 of Stratton. By the way, the other takes on this look great!

Thanks shmohel!

-Todd

[nonessentialnoodle 2]

The city of milton keynes in the uk was built entirely on this principle in the 1960's. Its a very effective way of maintaining fast transportation speeds for through traffic, while preserving quality of life for people living within the grid. Unfortunatly its main drawback is the difficulty it provides to anyone who wants to walk anywhere, a walk to the local shops can take hours (with a bit of imagination) as you have to wind round endless streets rather than cutting back behind your house, simcity shows this rather well.

I use fused grid systems for almost all my inner city (medium density, some high) res developments and some of my suburbs, it works very well, i usually form the grid roads with highways or avenues/dual carriageways and make the junctions to the subdivisions grade seperated to maintain the through traffic speed.

Unfortunatly i dont have any screenshots atm though

[Patricius Maximus 236]

Originally posted by: nonessentialnoodle The city of milton keynes in the uk was built entirely on this principle in the 1960's. Its a very effective way of maintaining fast transportation speeds for through traffic, while preserving quality of life for people living within the grid. Unfortunatly its main drawback is the difficulty it provides to anyone who wants to walk anywhere, a walk to the local shops can take hours (with a bit of imagination) as you have to wind round endless streets rather than cutting back behind your house, simcity shows this rather well.

I use fused grid systems for almost all my inner city (medium density, some high) res developments and some of my suburbs, it works very well, i usually form the grid roads with highways or avenues/dual carriageways and make the junctions to the subdivisions grade seperated to maintain the through traffic speed.

Unfortunatly i dont have any screenshots atm though quote>

 

I looked at the city on Google Earth, and here's 2 shapshots:

I can see how it would be hard to walk in the place. Here is my first fused grid 'experiment' for comparison:

Enjoy.

- Patricius Maximus

[Gagwee 8]

A fused grid is effective but i find just a normal grid way better, like this:

[froelich131 13]

I usually make neighborhoods like this on the outskirts of town, to represent new growth. (since it is a new way of creating neighborhoods) And a mix of random street paterns with grid.

~Joey

[Markus J 242]

Great systems everyone, really inspiring

Gagwee: Looks like streets have become indangered in that city. Ha but seriously that's my only complant is that you have far, far to many roads.

Here is some of my urban spwarl form my CJ Las Vegas, Nevada

Keep in mind this is the popular style of the older areas of Vegas, main avenues most of the time with stores along them and others with houses. This is my perfered style of building anyway and it's realstic from region view

More pictures on my CJ

[thefunktopus 1]

I prefer the cul-de-sac method as it allows me to place lots of trees, and gives a visual barrier between homes.

[Yonk 2]

Pretty much all my suburban areas in my cities are dominated by this. Commercial and industrial are put on grids, but I like my residential areas to have all dead-end roads so that every sim is forced onto higher-capacity forms of transportation. Otherwise, they'll do extremely stupid things, like having 30 cars on a road, and 150 cars on a nearby street that goes in the same direction. I also really love the visual appeal, and oftentimes there will be spaces leftover where I can put parks or just leave natural with trees and rocks and things.

- Yonk

[Indiana Joe 1,750]

I've had a lot of success with fused grids.  Then again, I've only used them in one city.

It's kind of hard to see the roads through the awesome PEG seasonal trees, but I did a few blocks of a 15x15 tile road outline with the looped and dead-end streets that give a fused grid life inside.  I like how this design keeps thru traffic off, so my suburbs can be mostly streets.