The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-03-07
The Effect Of Park and Boulevard Improve
ments on Property Values.
BY w H Dunn sup Of Parks City, Mo- read before
the convention OF the American Association Of Supts
Boston, Mass

The great value OF system OF
narks and boulevards to . municipall-
& is now well recognized and many
ahle writer's and eloquent speakers
have admirably presented the artis-
~ side of the work, that park reser-
vations beautified and made available
for the pleasure and recreation Of the
people are necessary, is no longer
Questioned. If, then, We can show
that the effect OF these improvements
on adjacent lands is to enhance their
value in proportion to the cost Of i'm
3 proyements. we happily solve the
nroblem, and all cities should be able
& acquire and improve q beautiful
system Of parks and boulevards as an
integral part Of the city plan.
Let us discuss the question. then,
from purely practical standpoint, a
business point Of view, II you please.
would add to the park reservations
the boulevard and connecting park
way plan, affording fine pleasure
driveways upon which desirable resi-
Dental frontages may be obtained. II
this plan Is followed, and compre-
hensiye connected system OF parks,
pathways and boulevards commensur-
ate with the size. Importance and civic
spirit Of your city be adopted (this
work should be studied and recon-
mended by a broad-minded, compel
emit landscape architect. and the Inn
S provement work carried out with
great care and attention to detail,
undertake to say that any wide-awake
city can establish its park system
without one cent OF general indebted
ness to the city. In other words. the
enhancement In values Of the bene-
T flied lands will be more than suficient
to pay all the cost Of acquisition and
improvement OF the park system. This
will impress you as possibly being a
too optimistic view, vet In our own
city It is a fact recognized and not
disputed, with reference to boulevards
and to q somewhat less degree with
reference to parks and parkways.
In the annual report Of the Kan
sas City board Of park commissioners
for 1910, we have shown by actual fig
ures clear net enhancement Of
values on a boulevard selected to
analyze this very question; this bou.
leyard is over three miles In length
and passes through several gradua-
tons Of property, including some very
b ordinary residence sections, a semi
Industrial territory. and "a moderately
high-class residential territory The
boulevard for It's entire Tenth Is 100
feet vide, and for It's greater distance
was widened from an ordinary sixty
foot street by the condemnation of 20
feet on each side of the street. The
benefit district for this particular bou-
leyard was confined to one and one
half blocks on each side and parallel
with the same.
quote from our report: 1T is an
established fact. we'll known to deal
ers in real estate, that during the
past ten years many thousands of
people have been attracted to Kan
sas City as place Of residence by
her fine exhibition Of civic spirit, the
most conspicuous product of which is
her magnificent parks and pleasure
grounds. Many men who have been
successful in business in town and
village within the territory tributary
70 Kansas City have felt the spell of
her influence, and when retiring from
active labor have built beautifuf
homes along our boulevards and set
Tied here to rear and educate their
children. Other thousands among the