The turbine square

New Urban News Technical Page by Andres Duany, Michael Morrissey, and Patrick Pinnell

A square is a public space, defined by building frontages, seldom larger than a block, usually occurring at the intersection of important streets. The streetscape of a square consists of a formal landscape of trees, lawn, and paved paths. A plaza is similar but its streetscape consists primarily of pavement. The standing of civic buildings is invariably enhanced when they are located within or along these types of public spaces.

A turbine square is so named because its points of entry are eccentrically placed. It is also called a pinwheel square. This type of square is particularly suitable for residential use because it discourages through traffic. It may be considered a traffic calming device without resorting to rotaries.