Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-08
A MODEL CITY"
One Of the Leading Ideas of the st.
Louis Exposition.

The idea of making one of the leading
features of the approaching st. Louis ex-
position " model city" which was broach-
ed some months ago, seems to have as
sumed a certain degree of defniteness. The
formulation of the scheme has been given
to a committee of the Municipal Art So
ciety of New York Perhaps it may seem
somewhat strange that the St. Louis au-
thorities should intrust this delicate ser
vice to New York parties. New York is not
a model city in many respects perhaps not
In any. 1t is not constructed on lines of
beauty. and though il possesses some strik-
ing architectural effects the impression in
the mass is far from agreeable. Ii lacks
harmony In its arrangement. and its dis
figurements, even aside from its general
plan, are many. 1t is a city of artificial
canyons which are not nearly as grand as
the expressions of nature in that form.
But the Municipal Art Society is not re-
sponsble for all that and doubtless disap-
proves it as much the stranger of
aesthetic tastes and sensibilities who comes
for the first time within the Citys gates.
In fact, an art society that deserves its
name must in such pace stand as an or
ganized protest against its environment.
For the work ii is now appointed TO do has
certain vantage ground. located where il is.
1t is the heir of all the ages so far as its
constructive needs are concerned, while all
about ii there are froWning examples of
what to avoid. 1t is pretty certain that
oils in few of its features and to be a
model city at all it cannot make an ex-
tensive copy of any large municipality
with which the world traveller is familiar.
or course the plans of the committee are
as yet largely tentative, vague. anonymous.
But 1T has sent to the St. Louis directors
certain preliminary recommendations one
of the principal among them being that the
site shall be in front of the administration
building, thereby making il the center of
the scheme. 1t is also urged that the Vari-
Gus buildings for municipal departments
such as fire, police, post office. hospital,
etc, shall be SO disposed 10 give a cen
trail plaza with exits at the back of the
buildings for official and emergency work.
the plaza being reserved for decorative eff
feet and exhibition drills. The authorities
are also asked to hold in reserve the rest of
the grounds surrounding the administration
building until the ideas TO he Incorporated
shall have been definitely worked out
This may seem like playing with dolls
and dolls houses, and some may cry out
upon the absurdity of attempting to de-
velop such an ambitious scheme to the
point where it can have an educatianaI
value. But We are not so sure of that. OF
course 1t is not Intended as something to be
duplicated by the designers OF new cities.
Its interest, if it awakens any. and its
value. if it has any, we hope IL will
have, must lie In its suggestiveness. and de-
tailed suggeStiVeneSS at that Cities
not carved out and set up to order; they
are eVolutionS; but even evolution accom-
plishes more through direction and guild
ance than through blind cropping. and we
trust the model city will furnish new
ideas for thousands to carry away.