Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1909-03-27
PLANNING NEW TOWNS
Attention Should Be Paid to the
Lay of the Land.
HOW GERMANY LOOKS AHEAD

Value of Adopting Her Method of
Planning For Great improvements
In the Future wbere cuid;,,
Mae+ar Hand Ie Neodod
When towns are first laid out some
attention should be paid to the natu-
raj topography, or lay of the land"
Just why surveyors or town site pro
moterS persist In laying out all sites
on the checkerboard plan IS very hard
to understand. 1t cannot be said in
their defense that the lay of the land
In each and every case demands such
treatment or even suggests it. If the
land Is Hat the checkerboard plan is
good II modified by running diagonal
avenues from Il common center to the
-FOUR corners. If the lhnd Is very rough
roadways should follow the contour,
winding up the canyon sides by easy
grades, preserving all OF natural beau
ty possible.
Germany has a scheme for the de
Nclopment OF Its towns ana cities
which has several admirable features
which could be advantageouSly adopt
ed by American towns.
Nhoever Will visit the city hall OF
any considerable German city, such as
Munich Cologne Berlin, Stuttgart,
Tim, Will see hanging in conspicuous
place map OF the city OF the future,
says writer IN Good Housekeeping.
"Ihe preparation of this map Is a
work of immense civic interest and
calls forth the collective talent of the
entire communlty-archit engl-
necrs, land surveyors, builders, as we'll
as of the official municipal staff.
Ihe development OF the city or
town for the next half century or so Is
forecaSt-roadS are mapped out; boule-
wards, open spaces, Fairgrounds, pub
lie parks and gardens are located; pub
lie buildings are assigned to their ap-
rroprlate situations, factories ana
WORKSHOPS to their proper district,
near river or canal; dwelling houses
of varying type, size, height and struc-
ture are disposed in streets, squares
and other formations so as to give dl-
vcrSity of feature amid the unity OF
task has been completed and has re-
ceivcd the approval of the entire com
munity, official and nonotficial, the
town plan is hung up In the town
house, and all builders and lahd Specu-
latOrS have to conform to the plan in
their succeeding operations.
Thus is the old slum land of smells
laI n n ~
ease destined to pass into garden land
before the magic power OF the Sclen-
tific idea. SO will the old blundcr land
of joStling factories and dwellings,,
street lines and sky lines OF every pos
sible angle and elevation, like saws
with broken teeth, buildings erected in
one generation to be bought by pub
lie money and pulled down In the next
because they are found to be built in
the wrong placc-all this Will have
passed away to give place to the true
city and town as soon as America fol
lows the example or Great Britain In
following the example of Germany by
the adoption of the town plan.
THE superior plcaSantncSS of Ger
man toWns-the fountains, public gar
dcns, open spaces, quite close to the
homes of the working classes; the or
dcrllneSS and innocent joyouSnesS OF
their open air life; the absence OF
squalOr and meanneSs and the British
vice of drunkenness, even amid their
poverty; the air OF comfort and self
respect In which the German working
man appears to Walk-aIl this Is un-
QueStiOnaDly due to the superior civic