I don't buy it. Cul-de-sacs experience less crime, fewer traffic accidents and are very conducive to taking safe leisurely walks. The problem is that some neighborhoods don't provide efficient pathways for practical pedestrian traffic between major destinations, which isn't caused by cul-de-sacs, but poor planning. Communities that provide pathways between cul-de-sacs away from traffic that connect such points have the best of both worlds. I envy them, because I live in a cul-de-sac that is about a mile from our schools as the crow flies, but the only available route adds 2 miles, driving or walking.
