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H.Background <br /> The City of Pequot Lakes was originally built around a railroad stop.The traditional way in which this <br /> was done throughout the Midwest was that the railroad company would install the rail line, plat out <br /> towns along the line then sell the platted land to defray their construction costs.The railroad <br /> companies used the traditional grid pattern of development a development style that had been used <br /> for human settlement across continents for thousands of years. <br /> The grid layout has its origins with the first cities in ancient eecropolf r, <br /> Mesopotamia.These places developed a less-rigid block structure <br /> within fortified walls.This approach can still be seen in the "- <br /> historic sections of very old towns,such as Paris or Rome. <br /> y a <br /> In the United States,most of the early settlements took , Osrorraa:r.Or <br /> advantage of improvements to surveying methods and r anrporSOrAmu <br /> tir 82 1 SU9i <br /> established along a grid pattern.As settlement went further west, - """" <br /> 'Y <br /> T.+rcd ld4 <br /> the ease of surveying a grid made it the standard approach to swao.xir pert <br /> development surrounding railroad stops.Nearly all Midwestern The grid pattern in Athens of Ancient <br /> cities established during the 1800's,including Pequot Lakes,have Greece. <br /> a historic grid lavout at their core. <br /> The grid approach served cities of this era well.The grid created a fairly dense,walkable <br /> development pattern that worked well for people getting off the train and the business owners trying to <br /> service them As the city grew and matured the grid provided the framework for mixed-use <br /> neighborhoods to expand around the commercial district.The entire area was surrounded by farms and <br /> hunting areas and was in nearly every sense,self-sufficient. <br /> Just prior to the Great Depression as automobiles were starting to become more prevalent,and <br /> then following World War II when auto ownership became ubiquitous,the grid design was largely <br /> replaced by the curvilinear,suburban design and highway-oriented development. The historic districts <br /> of many cities such as Pequot Lakes are now surrounded by suburban-style development.The streets <br /> in the grid pattern have been subsequently retrofitted for automobile travel.Accommodating <br /> automobiles is now the primary design criteria for the public right-of-way in most cities,including <br /> Pequot Lakes. <br /> Even so the core of Pequot Lakes and its surrounding neighborhoods are constructed on the <br /> traditional grid.Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of this pattern is critical to understanding <br /> how to revitali n t. <br /> Formatted:Heading 2 <br /> Sense of Place <br /> Besides the ease of surveying the grid pattern provides a number of design advantages that were <br /> important in an era prior to automobile-base design The public realm(the space between buildings now <br /> devoted largely to automobiles)provided space for social interaction The orientation of the homes <br /> towards the public realm increased security Mobility for pedestrians was enhanced by the connectivity <br /> Pequot Lakes Downtown Plan—Updated June 2011 3 <br />