The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-06-24

done in the way of city planning in America. The reason for this is large ly due to the unprecedented growth Of our cities. Large cities have grown up on the foundations laid for small towns. Washington remains as prac- ticaIly the only example of a city In the United States that has worked out 3 plan in detail in advance of its needs and carried it out almost in its en- tirfty. Other cities have had plans for the future, but these were either discarded or overlooked in the attempt to make room for the population which which flowed into them almost inces- sanity. Most all the cities in Ameri.- ca were built on the one plan. that is, the rectangular form of street con struction and the entire absence Of trees or shrubs on the main thorough fares and one of the most difficult problems at present in city planning is to eliminate this sameness in struc- ture
 The most essential things, in plan ming a City Beautifully are parks. with which we as a city are well sup piled Nothing inspires people to bet ter conditions and desire for better streets than beautiful parks, in which every effort is made to develop their natural resources and beauties.
 The planners, should treat the land, on which the city is built as an arcri- tect treats the site of a structure. It should be considered as a unit and the three following points should be considered as the principal ones in it's plan: 1. Circulation. that is provtd- ing ample facilities for every sort of traffic and making it easy to. go from one part Of the city to another, no matter how distant, in the quickest and most direct manner. 2 Hygiene. s that is providing ventilation or open spaces in thickly settled sections such
 a.-7.- providing of a good sewerage system 8. Art, by this is meant the carrying out of the two above points and any others that may come before the city in the way of planning in the most practical and artistic manner.
 Experts. who are skilled in city and municipal planning, should be chosen. not on account of political favor but on their ability to draw up plans for any new section of the city, which is to be opened up or any old part, which is to be replanned and after these plans everyone should be compelled to ob- serve them. This method of planning would prevent the land holder from cutting. streets through his property wherever he saw fit. with no regard for convenience or symmetry. The city should also have something to say concerning the use to which the land is to be put, whether it is to be used for business, factory or residential purposes For the cfty's foundations are a matter of public and not private, concern. but the city should be plan ned for generations to come rather than for the day alone.
 One of the greatest hinderances to the development of American cities along the lines of art and harmony is too much unchecked individualis5r and personal license. by this mean that the city or community instead Of con trolling the style and description or buildings to be. erected in certain lo-s calfties, allows shops and. factories to be erected in the center of beautiful resi- dential districts with no regard for the natural or architectural beauty. Several examples of, this license may be found in our own city.
 The principal asset of a city is it's streets, which should be adapted to the uses to which they are to be put It has been well said by a. modern writer on civic betterfn ent that Good streets are to the modern city what the cir culating system. is to the living organ Ism Although this is the case, streets in American cities have perhaps receiv- ed less attention than any other phase of city planning. Our own city. to- gether with many others does not seem to realize the important part good streets play in making the city beautiful as we'll as useful One of the faults of the present system Is the fact that owners of large tracts of land are allowed without any nu11i- cipaI supervision. to cut streets with out regard to either width or direc- tion.
 As one of the greatest mistakes of our mode of life is the entire separation of pleasure from work the streets of our city are liable to be merely bar ren .treeless thoroughfaress with no .-a-a r thoroughfares. which should radiate from the center of the city. whenever possible, should be broad and spacious about one hundred and fifty to two hundred feet wide, and should either have parkway down the middle as is the custom in most German cities, or along the sides between the road way and the sidewalks, as is the cus- tom in France and Italy. Tn these parkways trees and shrubbery should be planted and here and there a piece of. statuary or a monument should be placed to break the monotony- Side streets should be built to fntersect these radial tnoroughfares at conven- tent distances from the center, and no hesitation should be felt in placi4g a
 monument. a fountain. or a flower. gar den at any such intersection. It shogId also be remembered in planning streets. that all pipes and sewers, which are of necessity laid under the pavement, should be ample enough to serve the needs of the city for a great many years, in. order that it would not be necessary to tear up the street. almost as soon as it is laid down, as is almost invariably the case here in our own city. Nothing is quite so unpleasant as to have a thoroughfare torn up
 most of the time, It not only detracts trade from the thoroughfare but also
 gives a bad impression to transients
 and visitors.
 At the center Of the city or as near
 1y so as practicable a good size piece
 Of land should be laid off as a park
 and around and in this park, the rr1u-
 ntcfpa1 buildings should be grouped to
 the best advantage. They should be
 of nearly uniform architecture so that
 there will be no dfscordant clashes
 from an artistic point of view Much
 can he said in. fa1-1nr- the H,o