New-York tribune., 1913-11-23

with very little expenditure of effort ca,
initiate such movement At an infor. |
NAL dinner the subject may be brought |
up and the first steps taken toward In.
teresting a few men OF prominence In the
ideas. A committee may then be judi
ciously selected of those who are willing
to lend the weight of their names to the
undertaking, while active interest is still
manifested by the originators.
THE ORGANIZATION.
A permanent organization OF some size
| is then formed, which may be known as
a Civic improvement or City Planning
| Association. 1t should be representative
| OF the most prominent members of the
| different professions and should include
| in its membership leading business men,
bankers. lawyers, editors, architects. en-
| gineers, painters, sculptors. educators,
! cergymen, representatives Of the various
public work societies. the mayor Of the
| city, commissioners of public works and
leading representatives of outlying COM
munities The newspapers will, of course,
| from the outset.
The first step is to raise fund for the
purpose Of securing plans and meeting
the expenses of the movement. and this
may be accomplished either by an ap-
preparation made or by general public
subscription. 1t is advisable to have as
great general interest as possible Great
ed in the subject as IL will thus receive
degree Of support which would not be
accorded it were its activities confined to
limited number.
One OF the best means of arousing the
interest Of the general public is the publ
cation OF tentative report on the pro-
posed city Improvements, prepared by an
expert. As the cost OF such preimi-
nary work is small, a public-spirited citi-
zen or the local Chamber Of Commerce
will readily defray the expenses in order
to start the movement Thereafter a more
definite plan may be decided upon.
THE WORK OF THE EXPERT.
The work of the expert is TO supervise
the whole undertaking, TO conceive the de- d
| sign and develop the plan; to direct the
work of the engineering STAFF and that
of the Office as we'll He is the directing
| head of the whole undertaking. and. |
working in harmony with the commission.
should have a free hand to develop the
| best possible plan. In cases where more
than one solution of the problem Of the
city's replanning Is practicable he should
submit tentative plans for the further
| consideration OF the commission and the
public.
! When the work of the expert has been I
completed a public exhibition OF the
drawings should be held. and they should
| be subjected to the criticism of the pub
lie at large and discussed in public
meetings and in the press. The commits
! sion should then decide upon the plan TO
be adopted, and the work then should
actually be undertaken.
| II the original appropriation is made by
the city the commission would at that
time have been made legal body and
part of the city government, but II the
| original fund is raised in another man
| ner 1t is unnecessary for the commission
to become a legal body until the city
actually undertakes the work, when a
smaller board may be formed, having the
necessary legal powers TO carry on the
work. the original commission still ex-
listing as an informal body for sustaining
public interest and advancing the cause.
A MONUMENT TO FOUNDERS.
No work more important or beneficial
TO a city can be undertaken by any public
spirited citizen than 10 initiate or par
tlcipate in a city planning movement.
The work done at such a time will remain
| as long as the city exists as the achieve
ment OF its founders, and will mark their
generation as one of progress and en-
| lightenment.
The present condition OF most American
cities. while deplorable in itself affords
| opportunities for the display OF disin-
terested public interest Paris. for ex-
ample. can afford no opportunity for
second Haussmann. or Washington for
second L'Enfant Yet almost every Amer
| lean city is crying out for some genius
| 10 come forward and reorganize Its stu
mildly conceived and carelessly executed
plan and for public-spirited citizens to
| initiate the work.
This is Just as important for the small
city as the large one and especially so
for the small city which Is growing
RAPIDLY proper plan. taking into con-
sideratlon its possible future expansion.
will stimulate It's growth as nothing else
can. and the development Of the plan will
save an enormous expense later on.
|