Editing Taipei (section)

===City planning===
The city is characterized by straight roads and public buildings of grand Western architectural styles.<ref name="jones">{{cite book |last=Jones |first=Ian |title=City Museums and City Development |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |year=2008 |page=102 |isbn=978-0-7591-1180-6}}</ref> The city is built on a square grid configuration; however, these blocks are huge by international standards with {{cvt|500|m|2|abbr=on}} sides. The area in between these blocks is infilled with lanes and alleys, which provide access to quieter residential or mixed-use development. Other than a citywide {{cvt|30|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} speed limit, there is little uniform planning within this "hidden" area; therefore, lanes (perpendicular to streets) and alleys (parallel with streets, or, conceptually, perpendicular to lanes) spill out from the main [[controlled-access highway]]s. These minor roads are not always perpendicular and sometimes cut through the block diagonally.

Although development began in the western districts of the city (still considered the cultural heart of Taipei) due to trade, the eastern districts have become the focus of recent development projects. Many of the western districts have become targets of [[urban renewal]] initiatives.<ref name="jones" />