Evening star., 1909-05-22

Representative ]. v. Olcott.
dtions as favorable to health, happiness
and productive OF efficiency as his means
will permit. Intelligent economy in the
maintenance is Of the essence of the prob
lem 1t involves large questions of eco
nomics and social development and not
merely those of~engineering in the mar
row sense, or o. architecture in the mar
row sense.
This broad ideal of city planning has
been worked upon for fifteen or twenty
years with the diligent patience and tech
nical erudition with which the German
is apt to pursue his ideals, and has been
in many other countries. particularly
among the keen and progressive democra-
cies Of Switzerland"
"One Of the interesting and important
features of the building laws in some
cities Of Germany" he said, ''is the pro-
vision that land owners of each district
as it is opened up by the city for build
ing purposes must dedicate not only the
streets. but all other areas of land prop
erly to be regarded as necessary for the
public uses of that locality"
This means" he said, that apportion-
ment Of lands for local Fairgrounds and
recreation grounds. local squares. ETC.,
and sites for local schools and other pub
lie buildings sufficient in extent and suit
able in position, to meet the reasonable re-
quirements Of the locality when fully
built up, must be set apart at the begin
ming and the cost of so doing must be de-
Quoted from the profits which accrue to
the owners from the opening up Of the
territory
Results Of German Methods.
AS to results, Mr.. Olmsted said
I'm the newer quarters Is to be seen.
first, a reasonably good equipment OF
main thoroughfares. well planned and
we'll equipped; the tendency appears to be
to fit these more closely to the topog-
raphy and the traffic requirements and
less with a view to producing a precon-
ceived type of architectural effect than
formerly.
Second, there is an increasingly liber-
al and equitable distribution OF small
parks, and Fairgrounds. as well as numer-
Gus small interesting squares and minor
engagements of the streets. SO arranged
as not to interfere at al with traffic. re-
placing the familiar but highly inconveni-
ent and illogical circle of squares so
important avenues as to block them and
require a sharp detour. Washington Is
full of those circles and some Of them
are charming to look upon. But the out
where it demands in new plans better
adjustment of beauty to practical func-
tion
'.Third, a good distribution Of excellent
public building sites is being provided,
especially in connection with the squares,
and on many of them some interesting
public buildings are being erected.
Fourth, notable facilities for commercial
and manufacturing districts are being
provided in connection with water fronts
and railways"
Views Of F. L. Ford.
City Engineer Frederick L. Ford Of
Hartford, Conn.,, followed Frederick Law
Olmsted, jr, of. Brookline, Mass, and ad
dressed the conference on 1.-THE Scope of
City Planning in the United states.''
Mr.. Ford Is the secretary Of the COM
mission on the city plan of Hartford, one
| of the first permanently organized COM
missions of this character In America.
| Mr.. Ford said the movement for city
planning in an intelligent and compre-
hensive manner started In 1902 with the
publication Of the report upon THE I'm
District Of Columbia" by commission
of widely recognized experts, consisting
of D. H. Burnham, Charles F. McKim,
F. l.. Olmsted. jr., and A. Saint Gaudens.
4 1t was especially appropriate. therefore,
that the first national conference on city
planning should be held in the same city
where the movement originated.
Mr.. Ford. briefly reviewing the work al
| ready accomplished in city planning by
the various cities since 1902, pointed out
| the fact that most all investigations had
been made and preliminary reports pub
lished voluntarily by public-spirited civic,
commercial and industrial organizations,
and that but few cities had taken the iu-
| itiative in this matter
| AS a result of this preliminary work.
the movement has become SO popularized,
he said and 50 important to the hygienic,
economic and esthetic development that
| 1t Is being undertaken in more perma-
nent manner by the cities themselves.
The appointment of the commission on
| the city plan of Hartford and the Cleve-
land commission. with ample authority
to employ expert assistance, and with