The cul-de-sac comes to a dead end

The Government hopes to foster better communities by using a design favoured by the Romans
THE cul-de-sac, a feature of almost every housing development built since the Second World War, has reached the end of the road.

Estate agents emphasise the benefits of living in a dead end with no passing traffic. But it is precisely the lack of passers-by that has prompted the Government to condemn cul-de-sacs in its guidance on street design.

It recommends instead a series of blocks arranged in a grid, a building pattern pioneered 2,000 years ago in Roman towns. The draft guidance, Manual for Streets, says that blocks are more conducive to walking and cycling, and make more efficient use of space.

It says that cul-de-sacs often cause people to make long detours to reach shops and schools, encouraging them to travel by car.

Times of London