The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-04-28
DETROIT ASLEEP
in MATTER OF
CITY PLANNING
w. n. sTRATrON.
I'VE Have Done Nothing Defin.
lite Since Building Boulevard"
Architect Tells Lawyers
URGES SUPPORT FOR
BEAUTY BOARDS WORK
Says Future Expansion Should
BE in Accord With Set
tied. Orderly Plan

Detroit mas been asleep Tor 90
years. We have done nothing defi-
mite In the way OF city planning
since We built the Boulevard" VIII
liam p. stratton. architect. No. 1903
Union Trust building. told the Law
the Fellowcraft club. Saturday noon.
Mr.. Stratton IL a member OF the
Michigan Chapter Of the American
Institute OF Architects, former pres
idcnt OF the Detroit Architectural
club, treasurer OF the Society OF Arts
and Crafts, and director of the De-
troit School OF Design. He was one
OF the members OF tho committee
that drafted Detroit's building code.
He has been architect OF st. Francis
Home Of Orphan Boys. the Herbert
Bowen branch Of the Detroit Public
library at Dix-ave. and the Boule-
ward. the municipal bathhouse on
Belle Isle. the Convent OF the Sacred
Heart at Crosse Pointe. the Home
Telephone building. the addition to
the Museum OF Art, and Is building
the Detroit General hospital. He
was one of the two Detroit archi-
tects whose plans were selected to
participate in the final competition
for the new public library.
Detroit is one of. three cities to
be built according to a definite plan,
drawn up before the city was be-
gum said Mr.. Stratton, describing
the governor and judges plan.
drawn after the Are OF 1905 that
wiped out the old town. He spoke OF
the plan of the city Of Washington,
and that Of the new city Of Gambler
ira, which has been chosen as the
capital Of Australia.
But Detroit has outgrown Its
original plan. and little or nothing
has been done to extend IT," Mr.
Station continued. 1.-The city has
grown rapidly in every direction
without system and without proper
supervision. am before you to
urge you to lend your support to the
icivic plan and improvement commits
sion in its plans for a more orderly
growth.
I'VE architects are constantly
coming In contact with people who
say that they want to build homes
but they do not know where to erect
them. We have no settled factory
district. no settled home district. We
cannot look ahead with any security
and say that this street will be Q
street Of residences. or that another
seceion will be devoted to industrial
plants. In short. we have no settled
policy OF expansion.
"In other countries. people ART
considering the problem OF housing
the employees OF big plants con
veniently and comfortably. In De
troit we have paid no attention tc
this matter. This 10 q subject which
concerns you as lawyers--to fnt
some way in which the city may
have power to handle this problem In
the best possible manner. so that ~
may cease the haphazard policy Of
forcing each man to provide for him.
self. at the expense OF his comfort
and convenience. The problem o.
factory settlements is one with which
Detroit Is face to face.
IL cannot emphasize too strongly
the Importance Of city planning. OF
building for the future. Daniel II
Burnham, one OF the greatest city
planners in the world, came to De-
troit q year ago, looked over the city
and made recommendation for n
development. Since that time. e. II
Bennett has drawn a number Of plans
which have been exhibited In the
Museum OF Art, but which were not
brought to the attention OF the peo-
pie Of Detroit sufficiently to acquaint
them with the problem that lies be-
fore them.
Mr.. Burnham saw the possib H.
ties OF our water front. He saw
changes that might be made to make
magnificent city. These are not
changes to be made at once some Of
them may extend over a period Of 30
or so years. But ny adopting a den-
mite civic plan, Detroit would at
least have an ideal toward which to
build, and az time went on we would
approach nearer and nearer to our
vision"
MIR. Stratton described the pro-
posed art center on Woodward-ave
where the public library and art
museum art TO be built He sug-
gested several places In the city
where changes ought to be made In
the interest OF beauty and convent
ence. but in most cases he said he
would be content merely to point out
defects. and leave the remedy to the
beauty board. He condemned Cad
ilac-sq. as a place of ugliness. and
said that the people OF Detroit are
spending too much time walking
around places that ought to be walk