There have been surveys asking which kind of residential street an
individual likes best, and I've always felt a little uncomfortable with
that, but could never figure out why.
Well, I think I know why. It's because I like diversity. I like where I
live, but I like walking, driving, bicycling through neighborhoods that are
different.
Now, there are some important things. I like to have space to walk or
ride. There is a certain minimum number of bigger trees that seem to
contribute.
And, personally, I like "in town" to be more grid like than "out of town",
but I think that may be just a personal eccentricity.
So, to make a rambling discourse more to the point, I am a firm believer in
having sidewalks, but although I like little dividers between the sidewalk
and the street, I don't think they have to be everywhere. And those short
little culdesacks could be really great used appropriately. Please just
make sure that whatever is done has space for people as well as cars.
Also, we need some streets to be more thoroughfares than others. Those
streets also need sidewalks, and probably a place for fast moving bikes
too. these streets also can have different characters - anything from a
sidewalk separated from the street with shrubs to a middle walking/green
path (don't forget to plant a few big trees in yards, with this kind of
street).
So, to conclude my rambling post, remember when we used to talk about the
melting pot of America? I guess I'd like my stew thick with lots of
flavorful chunks, rather than a homogeneous mass of unidentifiable
substances. Or as a friend describes it, why can't we be a nice tossed
chef's salad?