Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-04

FEW words about municipal
aesthetics. and TO what they lead.
IA Experience teaches US that civic
improvements cannot be attained sue
cessfully by any other method than by
municipal advance planning OF the out
lying regions OF a given city.
A comprehensive system of city plan-
ming must be established for every COM
munity if such deplorable conditions
as we all bemoan are to cease. II the
city of Los Angeles is to become beau
tiful, the question of city centers, from
which broad avenues would radlate
into all the outlying districts, f1anked
by the invigorating green Of municlpal
trees, by parks and lakes, must be de-
termined before the districts are set
tied haphazardly and impossibly i'm
proved by real estate deale. who too
often have the Identification of the
city less at heart than their private IN
terests, checking any possibility oil sys-
tematic municipal improvement.
In Mr.. Robinson's report, presented
to the council of the city of Los An
geles in 1907, we are told of the sprawl
ing, rambling and disjoined' character
of our city streets. ! have read Mr..
Robinson's excellent report and recon-
mend its study to every one interested
in improving our city.
Urges Legal Aid
Los Angeles today needs. first Of all,
ordinances looking to the technical as
well as artistic nee ds of the community.
Special provisions should be made at
once for reserving ample space for
modern landscape architecture, as well
as sculpture, not only for public reere-
alton, but also for parlSways about pub
lie buildings, schools, traffic terminals,
hospitals, churches, etc.
In a climate such as ours, where roses
bloom every month in the year, we
certainly should hstve an abundance Of
rose gardens of considerable extent. A
city to be beautiful must be composed
of beautiful featupas, and no places are
so closely noted OF afford such an OPP
portunity for a harmonious combina-
ton of the architt ctural and the nat
ural as the facades of public buildings
So we must direct. and educate private
enterprise with def mite ideals and spe-
eiic standards in the designs. with the
gradual result of a city not only beauti-
full, but prosperous clean and healthful
as well. The INN lense Importance Of
this problem Cor the development Of
our city has never been greater than
just now, where an Pedro and Will
mington are mergV d with us, making
Greater Los Angel es an accomplished
fact.
In 1907 Mr.. Robin son pointed out that
he found 450 miles of graded streets
laid down, as he ST lys, at the whim Of
individual land ow ners and absolutely
without comprehei lsive system; that
the topography is exceedingly varied
and that in ten mo nths more than TO-,
600 buildings were rected in the region
covered. Well his p rophecy came true;
but if we look at hese buildings from
an unbiased profe ssional standpoint
must we not confess that the majority
consist of a ramsha exile makeup, with
a beamed ceiling, 4 half dozen or so
beamed or angle roo is, odd shaped. i'm
possible windows, ha nd-hewn timber in
old oak effects" land wherever one
looks insincere prefer Use of the materials
chosen, garish f1ocr coverings and
clumsiness in so-call ID furniture, a tor
ture to look at. An all these mean