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In Reading [England] there is this thing called the IDR, short for 'Inner Distribution Road', which is bureaucratese for 'Big thing that cost a lot of money and relieves traffic problems, provided all your traffic wants to orbit the town centre permanently'. It's a 2-3 lane dual carriageway that goes round the town centre. It has lots of roundabouts, an overhead section, a couple of spare motorway-like exits (that's British motorways -- y'know, the roundabout with the main road going under it), and a thing called the Watlington Street Gyratory, where you have to get in lane for your intended destination about three years and two corners before you get there with no signposting. I used to cycle along it every day to get to school, before I fell off at 35 mph. [Kids! Don't try this at home!] I know it well. I believe it is impossible to leave Reading heading west.

Terry Pratchett#33

CritiquePlanning

About this quote

What does it mean?
A detailed, humorous critique of a specific road's confusing design.
In plain terms
This road is complex and makes it hard to exit properly.
What can you take from it?
Urban planning can create unnecessary complexity.

Where it applies

  • driving lessons
  • navigating new towns

Putting it to work

  • critiquing infrastructure

Questions to consider

  • Have you ever been confused by a road layout?

Another view

Highly specific to one location and may not resonate globally.

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  2. I didn't go to university. Didn't even finish A-levels. But I have sympathy for those who did.

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