About Place Contexts
The places that we use and the streets and roads through which we move and enjoy are embedded into different locational settings called place contexts. Each of these is characterised by different elements and scales, which determine the general qualities of these places.
Six broad place contexts describe the typical features of settlements that our roads and streets serve: from dense and diverse urban centres to sparsely populated rural areas. Each road and street type is designed to fit its desired place context.
Practitioners need to understand and consider the place context when determining street types and when selecting appropriate road and street design elements.
Place contexts have some distinctive features in maps and in aerial photos. In particular, the layout or 'grain' of their road and street networks broadly ranges from a more frequent spacing of streets (a 'fine grain') in more urban areas and a less frequent spacing in less urban areas.
Some areas have features that are more mixed. In these cases, road and street networks and designs must be appropriate for these communities' vision for the desired future state of their neighbourhood. See the Network Planning in Precincts Guide for more information about shaping road and street networks to support communities.