This plan, which has until recently been extended throughout the outlying regions of Philadelphia, has been adopted in American cities generally. That Philadelphia has within the last ten years broken away from this system in some outlying sections and is striving to correct the errors of past generations in its built-up sections by diagonal avenues from the City Hall is the notable accomplishment of the last ten or fifteen years. The movement has been one of development in Philadelphia as it has been elsewhere. Twenty years ago with the formation of the small parks association the attention of the city was directed to the problem of bringing fresh air and sunshine to congested districts, especially where incoming foreigners locate themselves. More than fifty squares and triangles have been acquired since then and the iniative has been taken in their development as playgrounds An outer park system has been preserved by legislation by ordinances and its acquisition begun.
Parks are but functions of that plan.
They have sometimes been laid out without regard to the city plan and have seriously interfered with the proper development of the city. Central Park in New York and Pope Park in Hartford are examples. The small parks association, which had become the city parks association, issued a report in 1902 severely condemning the rigidity of our street system. Since the publication of that report it is a pleasure to note that the board of surveyors has adopted the policy urged by the association. Diagonal avenues, intelligently located, form the most convenient and important means of intercommunication between different sections.