Hopping on this comment, I had wondered about the merits of a grid system based on parabolic coordinates: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parabolic_coordinates ht

Hopping on this comment, I had wondered about the merits of a grid system based on parabolic coordinates: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parabolic_coordinates http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parabolic_coordinates which might retain the convenient local regularity of street grids while preventing the streets from "channeling" wind/noise.