The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1910-02-03
Town MAKING ADVICE
How Foreign Cities Promote
Safety and Convenience.
AVOID PARALLEL STREETS.
The wheel Spoke" System of Laying
Out Thoroushfares, However, Is Not
Being Adopted-How the German
City of Stuttgart Is Laid Out.

Out Thoroushfares, However, Is Not
Being AdoPted-How the German
City of Stuttgart Is Laid Out.
City building in accordance with
practical principles is being reduced to
a science in Germany Today scores
of cities in the empire are studying
planning and adjusting old to new con
ditions. with the result that ugliuess is
being replaced by beauty and the
health. convenience and safety of the
people very much enhanced.
One idea is TO get away from parallel
lines. No street from end to end, if
it is of any considerable length. is of
the same width throughout Then two
streets. though close together may not
exactly parallel each other. Ehey twist
and turn where the "meandering" 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 bcauti-
fed inclineS to the wheel spoke sys-
TEN. such as is seen in Versailles,
Washington and Detroit Very seldom
does the CONFORMATION of the land lend
itself to this idea. even if what IS al
ready in existence in the way OF i'm
provements could be utilized. II is
the plan pot TO ruthleSsly tear down
old landmarks bur rather TO build
around them or up to them and TO
make the most of them. 1t is com
binatiOn of utility, beauty and pictur-
sequences. with systematic rules ig
nored and an eye always kept on
traffic requirements, local prejudices,
trade. healthful hahitations and atmOs-
pheric conditions.
Stuttgart the capital of Wurttemberg.
is an example of this methodical and
scientific German planning. The city
is located in a narrow valley, and the
hills on either side are covered with
vineyards First resident architect
spent tive wears in closely studying the
available area. the character of the
buildings already erected. the direction
the probable expansion of the city
would naturally take and the necessi-
ties OF the residents Then the plan
was subjected 70 all sorts of criticism.
There was detailed explanation by
the architect: the mayor himself a
scientist. reviewed it, criticisms were
made from the social economic view
point; learned men in hygiencs studied
it. and others trained in their several
professions reviewed IT, Adopted after
a searching examination. rejuvenatPd
Stuttgart will be a city where the very
particular environment.
What has been going on in Stuttgart
has been progressing in many other
German cities. not TO quite so elaho-
rate an extent perhaps. but sufficiently
50 to relieve congested centers. eXtir-
pate SUM districts and to create
healthtul conditions where heretofore
lurked 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
cumStanCes have become rich Syl-
vester Baxter in his article in the AT
lantic on the German way OF making
better cities says that in one of the
Berlin SUBURBAN towns alone there are
as many as forty peasant miliionalres.
men VINO a few years ago were peas
ant proprietors and are now made rich
by the values the growth of the great
capital has given TO their land"
Others have been made rich by the
fact that the improvements effected
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 in
the reichstag is taking cognZance OF
these values. and it is proposed. as it 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 and thus
themselves getting the benefit OF the
increased land values