Uploaded on 2016-04-29 by VNBM

![Washington Circle, Washington DC][1] A very simple pattern of orthogonal streets was chosen, in the North-South and East-West directions. But Washington being a large scale museum for History and politics, large avenues were **drawn to link all the political infrastructures** and the historical monuments and landmarks of the city. This grid system is relevant regarding this week’s theme in the sense that the infrastructure for drivers, the roads, are an **asset for the city** just like any building and it is also a **geometrical data** that is an input in any itinerary for commuters on a daily basis and any future urban development project. Though it is almost impossible to get rid of a roadway like you can get rid of a building, roadways also **need to adapt** simultaneously with the buildings and the transportation systems: lighting, usability, traffic signs, streetcars, bike lanes, bus stops, circles… are just a few elements shown on the picture that reflect how streets are defined by their **users**, their **activity** and the long run **technological evolution**. To be functional, they have their own **supply of energy**, of material, and host their own **flow of people and vehicules**. The complexity of a street system stems from its **dynamic nature**: streets are made to be crossed, driven by, biked along but also to visually connect the city. Most busy avenues converge towards central circles that are the core of commerce, business or political areas. Monuments can be seen from far away, like the Lincoln Memorial on the background of the picture (hidden by the trees) or the Capitol that becomes part of the landscape and the collective image of Washington. The word **« axis »** clearly describes the impact of the road infrastructure on the urban landscape. In a car-centered transportation era, it is a strong and inevitable element of the city, which at the same time links places and creates an **« in-between »** space between those places that entails new design factors, new possibilities, and new stocks and flows. [1]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14619703006962047.jpg