The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-07-09
MILLER DISCUSSES
APARK SYSTEM
Be oflValue to Industry and
Commerce
PULL CITY TOGETHER
City Has Passed Haphazard, Specula-
tive Age and Park System Should
Now Be Taken Up by
Experts
PULL CITY TOGETHER

George Fl Miller, the widely known
| landscape architect of Boston, in a
statement issued yesterday points out
the pressing need and the ultimate
| worth of comprehensive park system
and civic plan for Birmingham. Mr..
Miller is well known in this city. He
was here seevral weeks last summer
and prepared for John L. Raul, presi-
dent of the park commission, scheme
for park areas and civic center. That
plan Is still under consideration.
The arguments set forth by Mr.. Miller
follow:
INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL
PHASE.
THE laying down and development
of areas of a modern, up-to-date, COM
prehensive park system of the greater
present and future city will be lever
in attracting industry TO the city.
| 1T will be of value to this purpose
in that 1t will go toward settling upon
the location of sites for varied industry,
making 1t possible to show and de-
scribe what the city has to offer.
1T will be of value in attracting
better labor. A good workman de-
mands modern conveniences and civic
facilities and goes only where he can
get them for himself and family; he
| wants his moneys worth in civic life.
1T will be of value in upholding
and increasing the efficiency of labor,
in raising the standard of civic life.
More Direct Highways
Together with certain other city
plan features 1t will be of value in
providing greater convenience for do
| ing business by having more direct
highways with unwasteful but suf-
hcient widths proper gradients, suit
able surfaces and absence of dangerous
distractions which often cause delays.
1T will be of value in giving the city a
reputation as progressive, city with pub
lie facilities for the welfare and recrea-
ton of It's working forces. a city as
worthy of finished products home indus
try. main offices and permanent citizen
ship as of raw products, branch offices
and representatives.
THE ECONOMICAL ADMINISTRATIVE
PHASE.
1.-The city has just passed through its
period of haphazard and ruthless exploita-
tlon in land subdivision. Any Individual
has been permitted to subdivide land as
to the present or future welfare of the
city as whole. Now the city is enter
ing upon a period of actual building, the
amount of building In the last three
months being twice as great as that of
the preceding IL months.
Pull City Together
Nov, before this actual building goes
too far the ruthless work of diverse in
divduals must be somewhat reshaped
| and partially corrected; now before build
ing proceeds too far and the valuations
jump too high the city must take advan-
take of its opportunity to pull itself to-
| gether, to make 1t itself harmonious
physical unit. When there are large I'M
developed vacant areas not far from the
center of city, lands unimproved and
of irregular valuation. there is some
thing wrong in the city plan, something
that should be corrected so that the city
will get the full value out of all Its parts
according to their relation to a common
center. Much can be done now that will
he impossible of accomplishment If de-
layed longer The obstacles are increas-
| ing daily and If allowed to multiply to a
much greater extent will be such that the
city cannot afford to overcome them. This
| Is the time to get the best city plan and
| park system product and to get II cheap
| ly and to take advantage of time in hav-
| ing intelligent improvements fully de-
| veoped and useful.
| at is no more than ordinary business
lprecaution, giving modern scientific
| consideration to the lines on which
money for certain public improvements
shall be expended. Like many of the
public buildings, each park of a city
should have we'll defined location and
purpose in relation to every other park
and should be developed intensively for
it's purpose. If this is not done in a
scientific and economical way the city
may find that 1t has too many parks
and none of them properly developed
or possible of fullest use. 1t is ex-
pensive enough for a city to have a
Iproperly developed and economical sys-
tenn of parks. No city can afford to
have anything less at increased cost.
Scientific knowledge Needed
did the chy do right In appropria-
ting moneys to help finish improve
ments at Rhodes park? or course these
improvements will increase the taxes
! from adjacent resident property but
should not the expenditure have been
made on creating. improving or begin
ming Improvement of parks serving
more citizens and toward upbuilding
the minds and bodies of children in less
1 attractive and more congested neigh
borhoods Did the city do right In APP
lpropriting $4,000 for buying land for
parks in Ensley. and IL so did 1t buy
the right land does IT know today?
Perhaps both OF these investments were
right and good at any rate, but who
knows? There is only one way to find
out and that is by more comprehensive
consideration Of the subject along scien-
tifis and expert lines. The cost OF such
study is far less than the cost of even
one park or the proper improvement of
one park, and no money should be ex-
pended toward acquiring or improv-
ling one park until the lesser expendi-
ture is devoted to making broad study
of tho problem. Then there will be
nothing to undo, nothing wasted. We
must find out for what kind of park
purpose and where land should and will
be used
A Purpose for Each Park
Each park of city should have
every park and no park should be
created until its purpose Is clearly de-
fined in relation to all others. thus
permitting the developments and ben
efts to be planned and the cost to
be distributed at time and in def
mite way in relation to all parks of a
comprehensive system of the whole
greater present and future city.
ICULTuRAL. SENTIMENTAL AND HU-