The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-03
THV REMAEING or new YORK.
iT'AAVrPHIIL ROADTHIr mans
~ fHE TIff BFU ttFtL

IiItie Arr emutishfd TUwa ara tRfrttHa 0ut
pIans tor The Itty's impF ~ rmrn
NunIrlpaI Art society Thinha n Has
s1ade a start, tItOust, tbisc0uraGes
ments Experienced ny At missionaries
Tho Municipal Art aociety put ont A few
years ago = lot ~ plans for heahtifylne New
York, nj which citizens who bclieve that tho
lpteest city IN America and the eecond
largest city In tho world may be and ought
10 be redeemed from tho stigma ~ helng
among the least beautiful ~ largo cities
took heart and looked hopefully for fcsilts.
Concrete results, however. have beon slow
In materialiSing.
Hencc these aanie persons have been
asking whether anything has been done to
carry out tho plans, and u not, why notf
They are asking also what tho society has
done 10 Justify n recent announcement IN a
real estate pater that owing to the constant
efforts OF the Municipal Art Society 10 make
Now York THE City Beautiful" II will In
fifteen years or ~ have become the most
wonderful city in the world.
The declared aim OF the society Mt is
inception was "to provide adequate sculp-
turnl decorations for the public buildings
and parks Of tho city Of New York and to
UIOIIlll' Nv tN'lJ 20 W"
Its streets and public t~horoughfarcs." Is
this aim still paramount, or IL the society
now more concerned with unitarian than
with aesthetic principles? This question Is
asked by thoae who believe that In spite
Of the city's remarkable growth in popula-
ton and imposing buildings in the last
half dozen years its progress in decorative
features has been as a snails pace.
g., ra~ ~, nan ~ Loo rT,nI pnna NJ the 4 lNH
members of the Municipal Art Society dis
putes this proposition. On the contrary
most Of them heartily endorse it. Never
theless, both member and directors insist
that 40 far from retreating from it's earlier
aims the society is hammering away more
persistently than ever to carry them out,
that the society's present methods may dif-
fer from those Of ten years ago, but Its OBJ
ject, its purpose, has never changed.
The society's manager believe, howeveri
that the best way to seek the accomplish
ment OF these ends is by laying q broader
foundation; in other words, to lead up to
the beautify ing Of the streets and public
places by planning them better, by securing
freedom of transit, more dignifed and
worthy settings and approaches. Purely
aesthetic qualities are always paramount,
1t is explained, ever when the society is'
graphing with the question of bridge ap-
breaches and rapid transit routes.
Some time ago Calvin Tomkins, better
informed perhaps than any one else CON-
corning the achievements Of the society,
said in an address: "The establishment in
the public mind OF the need for compre-
hensive planning Of all these factors incident
to the city's growth has constituted the
principal achievement OF the society during
the last two years. and he instanced the
gain along this line by citing an elaborate
report Of the City Improvement Commits
sion, which recommended many OF the
suggestions made by the Municipal Art
Society and was the very first official recog-
milton by the city Of the desirabihty OF
comprehensive planning in anticipation OF
municipal needs. On that occasion Mr..
Tomkins pointed out that thus far perfaps
the most important work of the society
had been it's effort to give a fitting answer
to the request of the Mayor for all the data
The society could get relative to the re-
planning and establishment Of the city
MORE PUBLIC INTEREST NEEDED.
When asked the other day what the Mu-
nicipal Art Society had accomplished along
q sthetio lines Of late Mr.. Tomkins gazed
thou ghtfully from his Office window out
over the bay before replying:
Comparatively little in comparison with
the amount to be done. There has been
more talk thai accomplishment, and this
must necessarily be SO at the present stage
Of the sooiety's work.
What we are most concerned about these
days is to stir up a healthy interest in a
general scheme for developing New York
n scheme which includes transportation,
bridges, tunnels, parks, the grouping OF
public buildings and to work out which
there must be ooincident planning in the
newer parts and a recognizing Of the street
system in the older parts.
in some sections Of Manhattan we are
using a street system suitable for a small
villa ge, and the problem Of adapting these
streets to modern uses becomes more diff
cult every year because of the improvement
of private property, which goes on rapidly,
regardless of its effect on public improve
ments. They are doing in London what
we must do in New York.
THE STEEL PROBLEM.
Sowing to the shape of this city it is i'm
portant tn at there should be main ~arterial
thoroughfares running north and outh.
Thus Sixth and Seventh avenues ought
10 be extended south to Varick street.
which ought to be widened, and the sooner
this work is done the less it will cost the
city and the more effectively, from an
artistic standpoint, will that part Of the city |
be improved.
BY arcading some streets and opening
up others which have dead ends it will be
POSSIBLE TO redesign certain localities in q
more imposing architectural and artistic
manner and setting aside the very obvious
practical advantages of these changes the
society emphasizes the fact that they should
be considered with distinct reference to the
artistic improvement of the locality in which
they are made.
The cutting through of culs de sac made
by the abrupt ending Of one street on |
another is strongly recommended by this
society, and such changes can be made at
small expense and a tremendous gain in
point Of artistic results to the neighbour
hood. For instance, Sullivan street, which
ended at narrow West Third street, has |