Andres Duany and his company have developed the idea of transects to document the proportions of streetscapes. First, they divide the world into zones:
From a 2002 article in the APA Journal (PFD):
A transect should be viewed as a way of applying a set of core principles of good form to a range of human habitats. Thus the idea that human environments should be walkable, pedestrian oriented, diverse, and promoting of public space is intrinsic to each type of environment along the transect.
Those core principles are defined for each zone using a set of diagrams and written specifications. Here are a few examples taken from SmartCode v8.0 (large PDF) by Duany Plater-Zyberk & Co. The Code is a starting point to be customized for specific locations based on climate, topography, traditional styles and building techniques, etc. Note that the tags (T1, T2, T3, etc.) in each diagram match the zones above to show which patterns work in each zone.
Civic Spaces:
Building Types:
Public Building Frontages:
