The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-06-24
CITY PLANNING AS
 APPLIED TO BRIDGEPORT
(Lydia Elizabeth GoIdstein.)


 (Lydia Elizabeth GoIdstein.)
 The principle of City Planning has for generations lain a dormant and undevefoped seed in the mind of civ ilization. But with the passing Of time this seed has been slowly awak- sened to life and presents itself to our era as new, important problem. City Planning is not a recent develop nent but has finally resulted from years of study concerning the growth of cities. It is a problem of interna- tional interest. having been the sub ject of much patient study by experts Of England. Germany and our own country.
 But before I proceed. let me Tbriafiy define the meaning Of the term. City Planning provides adequate transpor- taltion facilities, wide streets, sufficient parks, civic centerss playgrounds, freedom from smoke, dirt, and onen- sive biIlboards. City Planning is hos. tile to s1uns, dark contested tene- ments, and mis1ocated factories. City Planning necessitates the cooperation of ali public and civic bodies, thus tending to create g. firm patriotic spfr- it. Tn short, City Planning revokes the haphazard, accidental method of city building, and substitutes in its place a logical system by which all the plannings of the individual depart I ed as to prevent needless extrava7 gance and secure maximum efficiency at minimum cost.
 Let us review the many and varied reforms for which City Planning pro-s vides and judge whether any of them would be applicable to our own city. First consider the question of circu- lation; it involves the distribution of the places allotted for streets, rail- ways. waterways. and all other means of transportation and connmunic cation. Since adeQlla4e facility for commuIli- cation is the practical basis of the ex- istence of cities, and the most impor- tant factor in their growth and sue cess, 1t Is essential that we ascertain whether Bridgeport can boast of this possession Are oure streets wide enough, and are they defaced by ugly interlaeing of telegraph poles and trolley Vires2 The answers to these questions are eonvfncihg proof that Bridgeport could apply. the prfnefp1e of City Planning to great advantage.
 ts8City Planning makes allowance for extensive sewer systems and anticf-. pates their extension and growth con currently with the expansf on and zen largement of city; thus obviating such grave problems as confront the city of Bridgeport at present.
 Have we sufficient parks. and are they conveniently. located so that peo- pie throughout the city may be in close proximity to nature? Although Bridgeport claims the. title of the Park City,. and with All due respect to the beauty of these parks, it is my contentlon that nature does not claim as large an area in our city as she rightful1y should. Providing increas- ed facilities for enjoying the beauties of nature would not only be a great. artistic advancement, but would prove itself a potent factor in the promo ton of general healthfulness and the prevention of diseases.
 ; Another circumstance tending to a low standard of health is the existence in cities like ours of congested dis tricts, famfharly known as slums. Since City Planning is hostile to Slums eliminating them by planning all dis tricts with good, wen-built, well-ven-. ti1ated and welI-1ighted. houses, would it not be a most excellent plan for Bridgeport to adopt? For it is in the germs breed so generously, and are carelessly spread throughout the city, Increasing the death rate and decreaS- ing the physical and mental standard of the masses.
 We have a conspicuous example of this in comparing the population of the industrial centers of Gret Brit ain and Germany. British cities, like Topsy, jses grood," while the new in- dustrial centers of Germany have been tntelligently and scientifically de- veIoped. Thus in stamina and intel ngence the robust gentry of the Ger man towns present a striking contrast to the anaernic ilI-fed, ill-housed peo-. pie which characterize the manufac- turing centers of Great Britain. The idea of the "Civic Center in which all the public buildings of the city are placed in close proximity is one of unusual import
 ] Besides the saving of endless time and labor by those who have recourse to our public buildings daily, the cen tralization of our public buildings like the City Hall, the City Court House, the County Court House, the Public Library, and other public buildings, into a. civic center, would unconscious ly invoke a, most commendabIe public, patriotic spirit and prove an added adornment. The cities of Washing ton and Philadelphia, stand to-day as prominent illustrations of the benefi- cia1 results obtained by this course of action. In our State of Connecticut the city of New Haven is now under going a process of rebuilding which will stand as a monument to the wis dom of those City Fathers who but a few years ago first commenced to realize the importance of this wonder full subject.
 City Planning also embraces free dom from smoke. It may never have occurred to you that smoke is great d@tEtment to city, so allow me to cite 8 recent example. The city ] of Chicago has in it's employ a Smoke