The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-10-25
City Planning and Industrial Development
dress by John Noen Of Boston, Mass Delivered Keokuk
Iowa, October "a, 1912

There are many misconceptions
about city planning, but none is farth-
er from the fact than the notion that
comprehensive planning is only for
large metropolitan cities. AS mat
ter of fact, the reverse is nearer the
truth. In big cities the conditions are
fxed, inelastic, unyielding. Compre-
hensive planning, especially with our
limited city charters and the hamper
ing laws of our states, can have as yet
but little play in great cities. At most
II must content itself with relieving
only the worst conditions, ameliorat-
ing merely the most acute forms of
congestion, correcting only the gray
est mistakes of the past Wide,
many-sided, Imaginative planning
for large American cities must
be confined to the extension
Of those cities, to the i'm
provement of suburban areas, to the
betterment of what are often really
Separate towns on the outskirts.
But with smaller cities the case is
different. To them comprehensive
planning can render big and lasting
service. For there Is scarcely any
thing in city like Keokuk that can
not be changed, and most of the ter
ritory that is to be built upon is still
untouched The river front can be
improved and open spaces secured in
the very heart OF things; a reasonable
street and road plan can lie made and
adequate main highways established;
public buildings can be grouped TN
some proper way, and a park and play
ground system, a true system, with all
sorts Of well-distributed, well-balanced
public grounds can be outlined for
gradual and economical orderly de-
velopment. And all these elements,
indispensable sooner or later to a
progressive community, can be had
with relative ease and at slight cost.
AS we have given heretofore too much
attention to caring for the mere
wreckage OF society, and too little to-
ward establishing better social order
that would reduce that wreckage, SO
We have expended too much of our en-
ergy in merely thinking of the ills
that afflict our great cities instead of
providing against unnecessary repeti-
ton of those selfsame ills in smaller
places.
Three important Points.
In the development of plans for
Keokuk, wish to advocate three
points: ~. The exercise of more
forethought; (2) the greatest use OF
art and skill and experience; ca the
adoption of an appropriate goal or
ideal
First, then, more forethought. One
clear lesson of the census is the
growth of towns and cities. They
move noiselessly from one class to an
other with little notice and less prep
aration. With growth their require
ments change radically, but little or
nothing is done to provide in advance
for these changing requirements. Els
pecially is this true. of industrial de-
velopment, of the location of main
thoroughfares for traffic and transpor-
tation, and the acquisition of land for
parks, Fairgrounds and other public
purposes. Instead of always planning
ahead, as the city should in these mat
tiers it is in the United States almost
invariable behind The foresight OF
the German towns, the best governed
In the world, is instructive. Their
plans are nearly always a score of
years in advance of the actual re-
quirements, and there is definite and
liberal policy for the purchase of land
against future needs, some places
owning as much as three-fourths of all
their building areas and having large
permanent land funds set apart for
further acquisition.
Secondly, a greater use of skill and
experience should be employed in the
planning and building of cur towns
and cities. Failure to employ such
skill is the reason for much of the ugli-
ness and Inconvenience of American
cities of today. Somehow, we are not
yet very generally convinced of the
value of the man who knows. Long
ago, John Stuart Mill said: The peo-
pie should be masters employing serv-
ants more shilful than themselves :"
The increased use of art and skill
would be justified in many ways.
A final requirement is the adoption
of an appropriate goal or ideal.
Changes are inevitable. We know
that. And if these changes are I'M
guided they are almost certain not to
be good The future should not be
taken at haphazard. We should de-
termine. at least in general way,
what we wish it to be, and then strive
to bring 1t to pass Above all, con-
sistency is a requirement and some
appropriate and controlling ideal OF
development should be adopted. The
individual topography and situation OF
cities, the differences in social condi-
tons and purposes, in the varying
economic functions of different COM
munities-these factors and others
should all find opportunity for natural
expression in the city plan, which can
often be carried out easily, especially
IL tha co.oparatio of Drtyata ipdiyid-