Final answer:
Spanish towns in the New World were centered around a plaza, which was a key feature in Spanish colonial urban planning. The plaza was surrounded by a Catholic church, government buildings, and commercial spaces, with the city expanding outward in a grid pattern.
Step-by-step explanation:
Most Spanish towns in the New World were built around a central plaza, with streets flowing outward in the form of a grid. This urban design was decreed through the Spanish Empire's Law of the Indies, which specified that significant cities were to have at the heart of their design a large plaza for ceremonial purposes.
The Spanish colonial city pattern was consistent with the urban planning norms of Spain, where cities were often designed with a central plaza from which commercial and residential districts radiated outward. The church and state buildings signified the dual authority of religion and governance in the colonization process.