H ouse and Garden 
Four directions from which carriages Four directions from which carriages may 
may arrive. Sixteen collision points arrive. Six collision points 
II you consider that the chief object of modern 
street-planning is to save tune in getting from one 
point to another, and not merely to construct the 
geometrically shortest routes between them, you will 
understand why I have taken you back to Bruges and 
the fourteenth century in search of guiding principles. 
Let me show you an instance [fig. 33]. B aking the 
first diagram of a side street opening into a main 
street, it will be seen that there are six possible routes 
for vehicles A B, A F, C B, C D, and E F, E I). 
1 here are three possible points of collision in these 
trajectories; three points where, if two vehicles ap¬ 
proach at the same time, one must slow up or stop to 
allow the other to pass. If the first street is continued 
across the second [fig. 34], we obtain twelve different 
routes, three alternatives from each of the four pos¬ 
sible directions, and this, you will see, gives no fewer 
than sixteen collision points. But let us break the 
axis line [fig. 35] and form a little “ place ” such as you 
will find by scores in old towns, and confess which 
is the more scientific scheme from the point of view of 
fig. 36 
Six directions from which carriages may arrive. One hundred and twenty 
collision points 
FIG. 38— BRUGES 
a—Halles. b—Cathedrale Saint-Sauveur. I—Grand Place. II — Rue des 
Pierres. Ill — Place Stevin. IV—Rue du Sablon 
the traffic. Or, if this is not convincing, add hut one 
more street to your crossing [fig. 36] and work out the 
result. Five possible routes from each of six possible 
directions and no fewer than one hundred and twen¬ 
ty actual collision points, apart from tangential ac¬ 
cidents such as may well happen on such routes as 
LF, JD. 
The principle of framing the view by enclosing it 
and preventing distracting perspective is carried out 
with as delicate an art in the plans of ancient streets 
as we have already seen it to have been in those of 
open places. 1 he more limited the impression the 
more complete is its eff ect was the sound axiom of art 
which, consciously or by tradition, guided the old 
street builders. The gentle curvature of their lines 
closed in the perspective and offers to the eye fresh 
pictures at every step. Now, of course, at great and 
wasteful expense these windings are daily destroyed 
in order to obtain a mechanically regular alignment. 
There is no reason, either practical or artistic, why 
our streets should have monotonous parallel sides. 
Take, as an example, the characteristic little “Rue 
St. Amand” at Bruges. Not only is such a varying 
line picturesque and advantageous to the buildings, 
but it affords exactly those spaces for the cab-stands, 
telephone and fire-escape kiosks, and other constant¬ 
ly increasing requirements which are difficult to pro¬ 
vide for and cause obstructions in uniformly regular 
streets. Violent bends are not necessary; a slight 
curvature or displacement of the axis line will produce 
the happiest effects. The concave line of frontage is 
the most valuable in improving the appearance of a 
street, and it should be broken as little as need be; 
the convex side is less disturbed by openings in it, but 
is less favourable for important facades, as the field of 
vision is more limited in that direction. If the street 
must be straight it should not be too long, for the con¬ 
tinued view of the same distant objects produces a 
sense of f atigue and failing interest. Excessive length, 
moreover, in a straight street leaves the wayfarer 
exposed to all the discomfort of sweeping winds and 
their consequent clouds of noisome dust. 
Sitte has selected the “Rue des Pierres,” also at 
Bruges [fig. 38], for an interesting analysis as illustra¬ 
ting the principles we have deduced. It leads, as the 
plan shows, from the Grande Place to the Cathedrale 
St. Sauveur, being continued thence to the station by 
the “ Rue du Sablon. ” It is slightly undulating, and 
in the first part of the street the right side is concave. 
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