Abstract

Neighborhood design, in particular street connectivity, has come to be understood as an important component of urban sustainability. Academics have presented a range of measures for assessing connectivity, some of which have been employed by North American governments in their development review process. However, these measures are subject to numerous ‘distortions’ and are not completely reliable to objectively assess connectivity. Perhaps the most developed approach is the LEED-ND pilot program, which assesses connectivity of the network of roads and pedestrian paths based on an elaborate form of intersection density. The likelihood that this tool will be widely used in the future invites a test of its effectiveness. This article examines existing subdivisions to devise a ‘typology of obstruction’ that demonstrates how the LEED intersection density standards can be met while greatly limiting the movement of cars and pedestrians. A method of evaluating connectivity based on route directness is used to demonstrate this lack of connectivity, and is proposed as one possible alternative to the current system.