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of the grid. Most importantly, the grid provided a platform that could grow over time as the community <br /> matured. <br /> The social space of the public realm was created by a design that emphasized the value of that <br /> space.The layout and spacing of the buildings created what has been called a "sense-of-place".This is a <br /> design technique that also goes back to ancient times. <br /> Sense-of-place is easy to understand and identify.A room has a sense-of-place.When you are in a <br /> room, it is clear that you are in a place.The feature that gives the room this feeling is the walls. Without <br /> walls, the room would not exist and there would be no "place". <br /> So it is with the public realm. When the buildings on either side of the public space line up and form <br /> walls, the public space feels like a room and there is a sense-of-place.The primary design element is to <br /> make sure that buildings are properly spaced. If the public space is too narrow because the buildings are <br /> too close,the space will feel cramped and the sense-of-place will be lost. If the public space is too vast <br /> because the buildings that bound it are too far apart, the effect of the walls will be gone and there will <br /> be no sense-of-place. <br /> There is a standard design ratio to obtaining sense-of-place. That ratio of the width of the public <br /> realm to the height of the buildings must fall between 3:1 and 6:1. This is how that looks in a <br /> predominantly residential neighborhood. <br /> Public Realm <br /> Residential Section <br /> The ratio of width should not be less than nor greater than <br /> height <br /> to maintain a strong sense of place within the public realm. <br /> width <br /> E <br /> height y <br /> i T - <br /> This is how the ratio is applied in a predominantly commercial neighborhood. <br /> Pequot Lakes Downtown Plan—Updated November 2011 5 <br />