Problem
The strength of the boundary is essential to a neighborhood. If the boundary is too weak the neighborhood will not be able to maintain its own identifiable character.
Solution
Encourage the formation of a boundary around each neighborhood, to separate it from the next door neighborhoods. Form this boundary by closing down streets and limiting access to the neighborhood—cut the normal number of streets at least in half. Place gateways at those points where the restricted access paths cross the boundary; and make the boundary zone wide enough to contain meeting places for the common functions shares by several neighborhoods.
Related Patterns
… the physical boundary needed to protect subcultures from one another, and to allow their ways of life to be unique and idiosyncratic, is guaranteed, for a Community of 7000 (12), by the pattern Subculture Boundary (13). But a second smaller kind of boundary is needed to create the smaller Identifiable Neighborhood (14).
The easiest way of all to form a boundary around a neighborhood is by turning buildings inward, and by cutting off the paths which cross this boundary, except for one or two at special points which become gateways — Main Gateways (53); the public land of the boundary may include a park, collector roads, small parking lots, and work communities — anything which forms a natural edge — Parallel Roads (23), Work Community (41), Quiet Backs (59), Accessible Green (60), Shielded Parking (97), Small Parking Lots (103). As for meeting places in the boundary, they can be any of those neighborhood functions which invite gathering: a park, a shared garage, an outdoor room, a shopping street, a playground — Shopping Street (32), Pools and Streams (64), Public Outdoor Room (69), Grave Sites (70), Local Sports (72), Adventure Playground (73) …
Alexander, Christopher. A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction. Oxford University Press, 1977, p. 86