LAND SUBDIVISION 283 



factory for any other use, if the land is later cut into smaller lots, facing 

 upon both sets of roads. 



The different types of street systems will produce characteristically Characteristic 

 different esthetic effects, which must be considered in relation to the ^ff^^^^ 0/ Street 

 desired character of the development. A curvilinear system fits and 

 expresses variation of topography and will probably appear unmotived 

 unless so conditioned. A gridiron system gives regularity, which may 

 easily become monotony if the buildings are too nearly alike. Much of 

 the effect which the subdivision may have as a whole will be due to the 

 views axially along the streets. A simple system of intersecting straight 

 streets is likely to be ineffective in this regard, as there is no definite 

 end or terminal point to any of the vistas. A system of streets of 

 flowing curves may be similarly indecisive if the streets are many or 

 long. There is likely to be a distinct esthetic advantage, therefore, in a 

 system which provides straight streets of reasonable length giving good 

 axial views of interesting objects, such as churches or other public 

 buildings, or attractive private houses, and the view down the street 

 from the building is an added asset, at least in the case of the private 

 house. Too great interruption of street continuity in this way is a 

 burden upon traific, but it sometimes happens that an irregular topog- 

 raphy may be developed to great advantage in a street system of 

 short straight lines, fitting the topography practically as well as a curved 

 system, and being both cheaper and esthetically more effective. 



Where there are any considerable hills, the road should be so laid Streets in Rela- 

 out upon their slopes as to have the least possible gradient and at the ^i?^ ^° , 

 same time the least possible cut and fill. If the slopes are large and 

 simple, this may be done by a gridiron system of roads running diago- 

 nally to the contours. If the natural slope is not greater than the possible 

 maximum gradient of the road, the gridiron system may be laid out 

 with one set of roads parallel to the contours and the other at right 

 angles to them. The gridiron system has certain advantages of sim- 

 plicity in plotting and legally describing the roads and lots, and where 

 the two sets of roads of the gridiron system intersect at right angles to 

 each other, the lots may be entirely rectangular and so as little wasteful 

 of land as possible. On the other hand, where there is any considerable 

 natural beauty of hill and valley and tree, and particularly where the 



