According to a recent study, residents in areas with the most interconnected streets travel 26% fewer miles by automobile than those in areas with many cul-de-sacs. Other recent studies by the same group show that the higher a neighborhood’s overall walkability, the greater the amount of walking and biking— which means a drop in per capita air pollution, fuel use, and body mass index.
As an urban dweller who doesn't own a car, I'd normally brush this off and say, "Duh." But I've never thought to examine cul-de-sacs this way. It does make perfect sense.
I will say that growing up in a house on a busy street corner, I was always jealous of cul-de-sac kids. Street hockey was much easier and safer for them than it was for us!
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Infrastructurist