In the model city the streets crossing at right angles will be of the uniform width of 100 feet from house to house, and the diagonal streets will be 200 feet. The figures of the United States census have shown for several decades a strong trend toward congestion of population in cities. It is true that the recent development of electric traction has slightly checked this movement, but it still remains a dominant influence. It is proposed to lay before the Club some thoughts that have been in the writer's mind for a number of years, mainly tending to the view that cities ought to be built according to rule and measure. The modern city is merely a great house, and should be planned as a house is planned, though, of course, the labor of such planning is very great.
Cities are no longer strategic points in great areas of unprotected lands.
The progress of sanitary chemistry and engineering practice has been such that we are now capable of dealing satisfactorily with all the problems of transportation, illumination, police and fire protection, water-supply, sewage and garbage disposal, and communication of intelligence that arise in large cities. The present contribution will be probably more radical than any yet offered. Experiments have often been made in building villages, but usually either as pure land speculations, or as a sort of benevolent feudalism in connection with some industrial enterprise. Pullman, Gary, the several villages that the Krupp company has built, and some small enterprises in connection with factories in England are instances. The founders of the toy villages play at building and management for awhile, then grow tired or die and laisser faire methods prevail.