Chinman, a straight line is surely the shortest distance between two places. However, there are some challenges with the hub and spoke street plan we have in Detroit.

Among these challenges are the way that our diagonal streets were developed. These streets grew out fast and were widened to accommodate traffic, then they were made largely irrelevant by addition of the freeways.

Also, these streets create many small lots and angled properties that are not especially useful for creating productive land use. With these challenges in mind, I think many in Detroit would prefer the challenges of a robust, north-south/east-west street grid.

1953