Transect (urban)

Duany's firm DPZ has embodied the transect philosophy into their SmartCode generic planning code for municipal ordinances.

Patrick Geddes, in his Valley Section[5] of the early 20th century was among the first to proclaim that human settlement should be analyzed in the context of its natural region.

A typical neighborhood would consist of a light commercial area with a bank, general store, pub, coffee shop, and apartments.

Moving outwards from the center, residential density would gradually decrease starting with apartments to townhouses to fully detached houses.

The potential of the transect as an urban planning tool lies in: 1) Education: it is easy to understand 2) Coding: it can be directly translated into the familiar legal framework of Euclidean Zoning districts particularly in Canada and the United States.

The transect contains other features: it creates a framework to control and promote growth in certain areas; it intends to increase pedestrian life, local safety, and community identity; and, it provides tools to protect and restore natural environments.