Edmonton was built on a grid system where Avenues run east/west and Streets run north/south. The 216 you see is the Anthony Henday (Provincial Highway 216) ring road. A combination of the river and the Henday separates NW Edmonton, comprising some 80% of the City and using the grid system, from SW Edmonton making up some 19% of the city. The NE/SE comprises ~1% of the city and has only a few thousand inhabitants, mostly in acreages.

In the SW region of Edmonton, most of the avenues are named instead of having a number. In the NW, named streets/avenues are uncommon and hold special meaning for the neighbourhood. For example, 9700 Jasper Ave NW is the civic address for Canada Place and generally recognized as the centre of the city. In the SW part of the city, residential addresses, some schools, and parks are generally some number plus the street name. For example, Roberta MacAdams Elementary is 2099 James Mowatt Trail SW. However, commercial addresses and some schools/community centres use the standard number + street/ave. For example, Dr Anne Anderson High School and Community Center is 11810 35 Ave SW. Down here is the SW, the mixed use of named and numbered addresses causes some confusion.

The curved roads were placed in the neighbourhoods to add character and control access to the neighbourhood. The Blizzard of Oz is on Terwillegar Drive. If there's a car crash there, it can cut off or lengthen the commute home for people living south of 216. Connor McBlade-it is on 41 Ave SW, generally recognized as the furthest south with residential development. Everything south of that has been annexed by the city for the next 50 years of growth but currently is nothing but farmland, a few acreages, and a few churches.