The cul-de-sac property was introduced to American neighborhoods in the 1950s, says Professor Robin Boyle, associated dean of the College of Urban, Labor and Metropolitan Affairs at WSU. "I think it's fair to say that the suburbs through the 1950s, 60s, 70s and into the 80s were built around a cul-de-sac model," Boyle said. "The idea was that one could construct a suburban landscape with curvilinear streets that could only be accessed by the people living on these streets."