The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-01-30
TOWN PLANNING
IN AMERICA
lis Future Considered by an
English Expert.
A GREAT AWAKENING.

Garden Cities and Town Planning
Association of Great Britain, Believes
American Town Planners Will Lead
the World In Scientific Study.
Ewart G.. Culpin, secretary of the
Garden Cities and Town Planning as
ISOLATION of Great Britain, spent three
months in this country studying pres
ent day conditions in American cities
and towns. He has embodied his i'm
pressions in paper for his society.
He was not well impressed by condi-
tons in American municipalities as
they exist today; but, turning from ex-
listing facts to the city planning move
ment i'll America and its future. he
finds much to praise. or this he says:
In regard TO many of the existing
schemes for town planning, the work
seems to he in sympathetic hands, and
II is an encouraging fact that many
of the people who are most concerned
with town plans there are people who
are approaching 1t from what we think
the proper end of the subject. They
are not thinking of the glorification Of
the town, but are realizing that town
planning means not only the provision
of public buildings and open spaces
and the making of magnificent parks
and conveniently wide streets. spacious
boulevards and glorious vistas. but
that 1t means the proper housing of the
people and the giving of a better
chance of a decent life to everybody
in the town. Ii is that point of view
which seems 10 have been lost sight of
in America, rs also in this country,
for the last few generations.
The more logical and democratic
form of education in America will
doubtless result in a generation of
town planners who, II the present
trend is followed, will lead the world
in scientific study, more particularly
in that phase which finds its express
sion not so much in the promotion OF
the civic center, although the necessity
Of a focus point for the city's activities
will be recognized. but which leads to
Tue DLONlSlOu VI utlNtl NohhiAioio VA
life for the humblest of the citizens.
In this respect there would appear
to be a great awakening throughout
America, and there is an evident desire
to accomplish something for the inn
provement of existing conditions along
the lines of cooperative housing. which
has had such remarkable success in
England. 1t is difficult to compare
housing work in the two countries be-
cause of the greatly differing cost of
labor and materials, which makes pro-
hibitive there at anything like the
price the charming garden city type
Of cottages which can be let in Eng
land ON an economic basis of rents
Of 8 and 6 shillings n week. But in
asmuch as the increase of wages means
the ability to pay more for the house
provided. there seems to be no reason
why the same system should not be
adopted successfully in America. And
it is satisfactory TO note that definite
attempts are being made as a result OF
this visit to establish such societies in
several places. 1t requires only a few
successful experiments in this direc-
ton to start a revolution in housing
methods similar to that in England.
The importance of the provision OF
open spaces and the acquisition of riv
er frontage is receiving great attention
generally, and citizens are awakening
TO the fact that the obsession OF the
last few generations for the accumu-
latlon of money has tended TO the neg
lcct of the preservation of real wealth
in the natural beauties OF the states
TO secure natural advantages for the
benefit of the inhabitants, and at sew
eral OF the meetings committees were
appointed to forward movements for
the provision of city plan which shall
include these various proposals.
Ii is being realized, / believe, that
civic center is no substitute for
civic spirit and that a comprehensive
view of the city as n whole. the city as
an entity. must precede the satisfac-
tory solution of the city's problems.
The civic survey is a field OF labor
whose possibilities have been but faint
~ realized and whose importance Is APP
preciated by but few people on both
sides OF the Atlantic, but the insight
into the real underlying conditions of
the masses Of the population which
this study will make possible will he
one of the most convincing arguments
for the effective handling of city prob