as “open space,” “hybrid street,” or “loop layout” plans because they are a compilation of grid, curvilinear, and ecological layouts (Hinman 2005). This technique is especially exciting from both a LID and aesthetic point of view. It minimizes Figure 4. Loop Layout (Himan 2005)
road coverage per house and provides
two points of ingress and egress (ibid). Also, while incorporating some of the grid layout, it allows for usage of oddly shaped parcels and “left over” land by utilizing a more curvilinear arrangement (the “loop”) without the usage of cul-de-sacs which prevent through traffic (see Figures 4 and 5). In addition, the homes around the “loops” and the more gridded areas become tiny communities in and of themselves, and can be designed to look out over potentially beautiful greenspace that doubles as a bioretention cell (ibid). Roads can be curved to avoid ecologically important areas and the grid network can be applied where a site warrants its use. Backyard “alleys”, if wanted by the developer, can be
Figure 5. Loop Layout Close-up (Hinman 2005)
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