This article is about the economic role of the primaeval layouts (plats) for a new development area as a conscious act of physical planning. It explains that these foundational layouts of a town or country in the ‘new world’ were traditionally the work of a surveyor, the impacts of which have been lasting. Typically following a grid iron pattern, with roots in ancient history, the layout of the surveyor may not look attractive. Yet, it has stood the test of time and continued to condition modern development. It serves two significant economic functions. First, it reduces several types of transaction costs, namely, those of competition for land, valuation allocation, identification and subdivision of land as well as revising a layout. Second, it serves to achieve agglomeration, establish a proprietary and common setting and provide vital information as different forms of public good.

本文是关于新开发区的原始布局（平台）的经济作用，作为有意识的物理规划行为。它解释说，“新世界”中城镇或国家的这些基本布局传统上是测量师的工作，其影响是持久的。通常遵循网格铁模式，植根于古代历史，测量师的布局可能看起来并不吸引人。然而，它经受了时间的考验，并继续制约着现代发展。它具有两个重要的经济功能。首先，它减少了几种交易成本，即竞争土地，估价分配，土地识别和细分以及修改布局的竞争。第二，它有助于实现集聚，建立专有和通用的环境，并以不同形式的公共物品提供重要信息。