View Full Version : For the planning geeks....



bluedogok
06-05-2010, 10:24 AM
I came across this blog on an Architect Newswire email. It is a short post about the various downtown block sizes in the US and has a PDF poster with various sizes depicted.

GreaterGreaterWashington.org - The Variety of American Grids (http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=6002)

Spartan
06-05-2010, 12:05 PM
Is an OKC block bigger or smaller than a Salt Lake block?

Kerry
06-07-2010, 09:55 AM
Is an OKC block bigger or smaller than a Salt Lake block?

A quick Google Earth reading shows downtown OKC blocks are 322'X520' (mol). Residential areas around downtown are much smaller at 275'X275' (mol).

mugofbeer
06-07-2010, 10:01 AM
Is an OKC block bigger or smaller than a Salt Lake block?

I couldn't tell you with certainty, but my experience is that SLC blocks (downtown anyway) are significantly bigger than OKC blocks - perhaps twice as large, plus they are square rather than rectangular. If you look at some, on Google Earth, the developers have paved the alleyways to make them street-like because the blocks are so large.

BG918
06-07-2010, 12:24 PM
I couldn't tell you with certainty, but my experience is that SLC blocks (downtown anyway) are significantly bigger than OKC blocks - perhaps twice as large, plus they are square rather than rectangular. If you look at some, on Google Earth, the developers have paved the alleyways to make them street-like because the blocks are so large.

Interesting fact about SLC is that the streets are so wide due to Brigham Young wanting the streets to be large enough for a horse-drawn carriage to turn around without the driver having to swear. If you've ever been to SLC, or many other cities in Utah, you'll notice the insane width of the streets. It worked really well though when they routed the light rail through downtown because they still had ample room for cars on the street.

Kerry
06-07-2010, 12:44 PM
Interesting fact about SLC is that the streets are so wide due to Brigham Young wanting the streets to be large enough for a horse-drawn carriage to turn around without the driver having to swear. If you've ever been to SLC, or many other cities in Utah, you'll notice the insane width of the streets. It worked really well though when they routed the light rail through downtown because they still had ample room for cars on the street.

To be totally accurate, it wasn't a horse drawn wagon, it was a team of mules.

Spartan
06-07-2010, 12:59 PM
No wonder he wasn't welcome elsewhere.