gridplanning

Grid planning refers to the design and arrangement of land use, infrastructure, or utilities according to a grid pattern. In urban planning, grid planning uses intersecting streets arranged in regular blocks to create predictable navigation, facilitate traffic management, and enable straightforward parcelization and public transport alignment. Classic examples include the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 for Manhattan. Grid patterns can be pure or modified with diagonal avenues, curvilinear elements, or large blocks to accommodate parks and topography. Benefits include simple orientation, efficient land use, scalable service delivery, and compatibility with centralized infrastructure. Criticisms include inflexibility, potential overemphasis on throughput at the expense of local character, and poor fit for uneven terrain, historical centers, or pedestrian-friendly design without enhancements. Contemporary practice often combines grid cores with pocket neighborhoods, green streets, and transit-oriented development.

In utility planning, grid planning refers to the long-term planning of electrical transmission and distribution networks to ensure reliable, affordable energy supply. This entails demand forecasting, capacity expansion, siting of lines and substations, and assessment of reliability criteria (such as N-1 criteria) and resilience to outages. The process integrates generation resources, transmission constraints, regulated tariffs, and evolving technologies, including distributed energy resources and smart grids. Outcome aims include reduced congestion, better service continuity, and facilitation of decarbonization and renewable integration, while considering environmental and land-use impacts. See also urban grid, electrical transmission planning, and infrastructure planning.