Walk Through Alexandria

9 May 2013
Back laneways. I attended the city walk through Alexandria this week and was surprised at how much one can learn in two hours, covering only four blocks! I chose to see Alexandria out of the hope of seeing some of the Green Square redevelopment that I was writing an economics essay on. Unfortunately, I do not think we got close to Green Square. I did particularly enjoy the discussion on back laneways though. Professor Neuman made a strong point that road networks are the skeletons of cities. They usually remain unchanged as everything else changes in a city. The laneway is of particular significance because it is a feature of older areas and has largely been designed out of new suburbs.

They are useful for limiting on-street parking, and provide opportunities to expand backyards, build garages, build rental suites, etc for homeowners. Offering flexible uses and potential for adding on to their houses to potential homeowners provides options on the real estate market. Although questions always arise: how do they function when compared to front streets in terms of crime prevention and safety? Obviously, windows must face the laneway, adequate lighting, clear sight lines and energy flow concepts can be applied to laneways as is applied to any street. They certainly add character to the area.

An old english alleyway. Courtesy of Shutterstock.com