Melbourne: a Renaissance City (on a Grid)

A flattering (and quite accurate, yet ever-so-slightly promotional) report on the re-birth of Melbourne-town by Streetsblog.

"Melbourne is a new world city, it has a modern grid much like a typical American metropolis. Naysayers who do not believe a city can be radically transformed say that the already narrow streets of many European cities make it easier to have good pedestrian environments there. Melbourne proves that isn’t necessarily so."

More (which is well-worth a read) on recent developments in Melbourne, Professor Jan Gehl's planning vision for the city and on how we're a "pedestrian's paradise". Reports on other Australian cities to follow soon at Streetsblog. Our laneways have proved to be such a huge success that they're about to build more... new ones that is... (stay tuned... details were announced on the weekend, but unable to find links so far). Via Treehugger.