Evening star., 1901-11-11
BEAUTY OF CITIES.
Improvements Contemplated by Sew
eral American Municipalities.


From the Worcester Spy.
1t Is intensely gratifying to find large
American cities considering broad plans
for improving their appearance. 1t is being
realized more and more that the construc-
tion of a good building here and there does
not necessarily mean much, so far as the
general aspect Of a city is concerned The
moment, however, that the relations of
buildings to one another begin to be con-
sidered by any city, there is reason to be-
live that it is on the right course A city
does we'll to plan parks. Too many parks
are hardly possible. But a city does still
better when it plans park system, having
in mind the relation of park to park and of
the parks to their surroundings. 1t has
been the working out Of large schemes that
has made Paris so superbly beautiful. Ideas
that embraced. the Improvement of great
areas have there been successfully put into
effect
Commissioners have been abroad from the
city of Washington to study the cities of
the old world in order that they might give
to the nations capital the best possible
designs for adding to it's beauty Cleve-
land, Ohio, a city whose residence section
is as beautiful as the business section is
ugly, is now considering a plan for group
Ing public buildings, including the federal
municipal and library buildings, to form,
when the scheme is realized, a grand
court OF honor Several new buildings
must be built soon and very wisely it is
being considered how each building NAV
best add to the effect Of others Eventually
a considerable portion Of Cleveland where
the buildings with certain exceptions are
Old and bad must be made over, and
the present movement toward harmoni-
Gus arrangement of public buildings, if 1t
is successful, may have an effect reaching
further than its advocates dream.
The Chicago exposition has perhaps been
the most potent influence toward creating
better thought about building that has ever
been felt In this country. The Pan-Ameri-
gestion. What these expositions will
eventually bring about for American cities
ana towns is past comprehension All of
the wealthy American cities can do much
foT themselves when once they think more
broadly upon questions concerning their
adornment. If 1t is reprehensible for
person to be careless about his appearance
it is infinitely more so for a city to be in
different as to its appearance.
1t Is not meant that the best effect is al
ways to be obtained by grouping public
buildings. Conditions may be such as to
make contrary plan more effective when
the city Is considered a whole But
thought must not begin and end with any
one building. 1t must include much more
than that. Neither must it be of the pres
ent only. 1t must reach far into the fu-
ture. The remark is often made that after
one has seen a few cities in the United
States, making selections from the east
west, north and south, he cannot derive
much pleasure from visiting other cities
that is. so far as any delight other cities
can possess for him in themselves. So soon
as cities make the best Of their environ
ments, and work broadly for improvement
in their appearance, the present monotonous
sameness will vanish. Every city will as
sumo character distinctly it's own and
become well worth seeing.
The netx fifty years should be period of
rebuilding wherever wrong principles were
followed In the first place, and particularly
where no principle at all was followed
Many mayor may earn distinction by> in
augurating wise movement for giving
beauty to his municipality. The old that is
good should be spared and honored The
old that Is bad should make room for
something better. The thought as to what
the leading cities in this great and fertile
land may make Of themselves Is indeed stir
ring. The time should not be far distant
when Europeans coming to these shores
| must acknowledge that we have cities that
appeal Just as strongly to the artistic
sense as any In their own countries.