If I apply Alexander's concept of a Local Transport Area to this part of Melbourne then I end up with an area 3.2km across bounded by Hoddle Street to the east, Brunswick Road to the north, Royal Parade to the east and Victoria Parade to the south.

It takes in Fitzroy, Collingwood, Carlton and most of Princes Hill, Clifton Hill, Parkville, Princes Hill, Carlton North and Fitzroy North. The squiggly line to the east is the Yarra River.

The area is squarer than what Alexander proposes; he prefers long sausage like developments. But it is bounded by major roads, which together could act as a ring road.

If you were to apply Alexander's theories here (not that I’m necessarily proposing to) then you would make travel on the ring road fast and efficient, and make motor vehicular transport within it slow, inconvenient and expensive.

You would have few cross streets within the ring roads bounding the LTA and privilege bikes and pedestrian traffic. Local Transport Areas would be well serviced within by public transport and well connected to each other. Each LTA would have a distinct identity and be well defined physically (a massive ring road would do that I guess).

Local Transport Area, with our neighbourhood outlined in orange