The turbine square

Category: public open space. Subcategory: plazas and squares. Editor's Note. This page is the first of a series dedicated to detailing the techniques appearing in The Lexicon of the New Urbanism. 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. The turbine type is characterized by extreme spatial enclosure as there are only four exits as opposed to the eight, two at each corner, of the conventional square. The sense of enclosure is intensified because each of the entrance axes is received by a building, rather than flowing past the space. These terminations yield several opportunities for architectural articulation. A turbine square can take a variety of shapes, including triangular or elongated. The turbine square was a great favorite of Camillo Sitte, but unaccountably, it has not been much used in the past century. A version was recently built in the new urbanist TOD of Vermillion, near Charlotte, North Carolina.