The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-10-28
TOWN MAKING ADVICE
How Foreign Cities Promote
Safety and Convenience.

'"C V"ee' spoke system OF Laying
Out Thoroughfares, However, Is Not
Being Adopted-1ow the German
City of Stuttgart Is Laid Out.
city building in accordance with
practical principles is being reduced to
science In Germany Today scores
OF cities in the empire are studying.
planning and adjusting old to new con,
ditiuns. with the result that uginess is
being replaced by beauty and the
health. convenience and safety of the
pcopI" very much enhanced.
ON" idea is To get away from parallel
lines No street from end to end. II
il is OF any considerable length. is OF
the same width throughout. Then two
streets. though close together, may not
exactly parallel each other They twist
and turn where the inca ndering" Will
be the most effective from every point
of view. with short cuts where they
are needed for traffic or other pur-
poses and pleasing viStas where the
grouping of the buildings already erect
ed and the others contemplated has
been planned for.
None OF the cities now being beauti-
fled inclincS to the wheel spoke" syS-
TEN. such as Is seen In Versailles,
Washington and Detroit Very seldom
does the contiguration OF the land lend
itself to this idea. even II what Is al
ready in existence in the way of i'm
pruvemcnrs could be utilized 1t Is
the plan not tn ruthlessly tear down
old landmarks. but rather to build
around them or up to them and to
! make the most of them II is com
bination of utility. beauty and pntur-
esuuenesS. with systematic rules IL.
nored and an eye always kept on
ira fife requirements. local prriudires.
trade. healthtu habitations and atmos-
pheric condiIions
Stuttgart the capital OF Wnri'emlcrG
is an example of his met hudiral ana
scientific German planning me 'tN
| is located in Il narrow valley. ANA the
hills on either side are covered with
vineyards First Il resident architect
spent five years in closely studying the
available area. the character OF the
buildings already erected. the direction
the prohabe expansion of the lily
would naturally take and the necessl-
ties or the residents Then the plan
was subjected to all sorts of criticism
There was Il detailed explanation by
| the architect: The mayor. himself
scientist. reviewed it.: crifi'iSms were
made from the social economic view
point: learned men in hygicnicS studied
it. and others trained in their severa
professions reviewed 1t. Adopted after
n searching examination. reiuvenated
Stuttgart will be- a city where the very
best results will be attained for It's
particular environment.
What has been going on in stuttgart
has been progressing in many other
German cities. not to quite so eabO-
rate an extent perhaps. but sufficiently
so to relieve congested centers. extir-
pate Stun districts and to create
heathful conditions where heretofore
Turk ed disease and death.
In Germany, as elsewhere. extraordi-
nary expansions of urban municipali-
ties have led to land speculation. and
many who were only in moderate cir
cuInstances have become rich. Syl-
yester Baxter in his article in the At
lantic on the German way of making
better cities says that I'm one OF the
Berlin suburban towns alone there are
as many as forty peasant millionaires''
men who a few years ago were peas
ant proprietors and are now made rich
nv the values the growth of the great
capital has given to their land.
Others have been made rich by the
fact that the improvements erected
through planning for more beautiful
cities have taken in parts of their hold
ings, leaving them with valuable real
estate from no efforts of their own.
The budget now under discussion I'D
the reichstag is taking cognizance OF
these values. and it is proposed. as 1t Is
in England. to take for taxes certain
percentage Of this annual increase.
| Some of the cities when making these
improvements condemn the land out
right. holding the fee title OF what re-
mains for rental purposes ana mus
| themselves getting the benefit OF the
| increased land values
The Knockout Of a knocker.