Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/27856
reduction of $3,147. This translates from an original subdivision development cost of $6,283,552 to a cost of $4,414,784, a savings of nearly $2 million. The Springbrook Subdivision The Springbrook subdivision is home to nearly 500 College Station residents. Like many subdivisions in the city, it’s comprised of single-family residential parcels, and each street offers little, if any, variety from neighboring ones. One aspect of the subdivision that differentiates it from others is the large swath of designated greenway stretching diagonally throughout the neighborhood that contains a branch of floodplain. Springbrook’s layout embodies the curvilinear, loop and cul-de-sac arrangement propagated from the Federal Housing Administration’s design standards. There are several attribute reductions involved in translating Springbrook to a similar hexagonal version, including a reduction in road length from 11,692 to 9,136 linear feet—a 21.9 percent reduction in road and related infrastructure costs. The development cost per parcel decreases from $10,507 to $8,202, a $2,305 reduction. And based on established develop- ment costs for College Station, the price of construct- ing Springbrook was approximately $2,057,792. The hexagonal version would cost $1,607,936—a savings of $449,856 to the developer. If You Build It Hexagonal planning is an aspect of urban design that has been ignored for more than half a century. From the 1930s until today, it has fallen by the wayside in favor of the ubiquitous loop and cul-de-sac design that permeates the American suburbanscape. Translating two subdivisions in College Station, Texas, from standard curvilinear street designs to hexagonal designs—while maintaining parcel count and existing subdivision boundaries, accounting for natural features, and conforming to modern sub- division regulations—has substantial implications toward realizing the benefits and possible application of hexagonal design. The heart of the argument for hexagonal planning involves infrastructure utilization—the ratio of infra- structure to the area it serves. There’s a reduction in Springbrook and Shenandoah subdivisions over traditional designs, due to the hexagon’s natural geometric properties. The adapted designs contain significantly fewer linear feet of roadways and related infrastructure, resulting in a considerable reduction of development costs. Economic benefits would directly affect the devel- oper, who would realize less development risk and initial financial burden as well as greater profitability by increasing the available land to sell. Ideally, the lInitial neighborhood designs were created with AutoCAD and imported into ArcMap to simplify editing and allow for precise measurements of road lengths, right-of-way widths, front and side setbacks, and lot sizes. savings in development costs would be reflected in the homebuyers’ purchase prices. The neighborhood variations presented in this research illustrate the connection between familiar and novel aspects of subdivision design by capturing the established qualities of traditional neighborhoods and transferring them upon a hexagonal foundation. Hexagonal alternatives are adaptable to natural and political constraints, demonstrate substantial eco- nomic benefits and are fundamentally sound. Some avenues for continued research involve additing multiple land-use types; mixed-use and higher-density development; further analysis and integration of a functional classification system for roadways; subdivision expansion; and considerations of pedestrian and bicycle movement. Author’s Note: I’d like to thank my lovely wife, Christine, for her endless support and encouragement throughout the research process. I’d also like to thank Bob Bednarz (Texas A&M University), Chris Ellis (University of Michigan) and Tim Lomax (Texas Transportation Institute) for their invaluable guidance and advice. Daniel C. Bally is the GIS supervisor, city of Houston Planning and Development Department; e-mail: Daniel.Bally@houstontx.gov. M A R C H 2 O 1 1 / W W W . G E O P L A C E . C O M 17