HOW TO PLAN OUR CITIES
The grid layout of cities – also called centuriation – was one of the formats the ancient Romans adopted to divide and measure their land. The grid, which organised land into conquered territories, today organises large cities into functioning roads and streets.
The Romans were highly skilled at turning bare land into built-up cities as many towns under the Roman Empire were expanded and redeveloped. The design may seem simple today, but before the Romans produced mass grids, buildings and other town features often just followed the shape and geology of the land. Their criss-crossing street layouts created central squares for trading, called ‘insulae’. This structure inspired the next city planners.