ABSTRACT
It would be reasonable to expect a square to be square. Although the term ‘square’ implies that the sides of an open space are of the same length and at right angles to each other, city squares take many forms. Only a minority of squares are actually square-shaped. In this chapter we distinguish primarily between regular and irregular squares, although much of the commentary applies to both. The regular shapes tend to have resulted from advanced planning in response to commercial or esthetic demands whereas the irregular ones have resulted from piecemeal decisions made over time or as the demolition of buildings presented an opportunity to create an open space. Irregular squares can be quite formal in architectural character.
