Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-20
|AY0R A|NSL|E TELLS
WHAT CITY PLANNING IS
atAmes Views as to Bringing All
Public improvements Into
One System.
GUILD SAVE IMMENSE SUM
Fakes for Future Comfort, Health,
Happiness and Prosperity of Whole
Community to Work Toward Ger.
tain Definite Ends.
By GEORGE AINSLIE,
Mayor OF Richmond.

0esl8nlng cities. 1t Ia good sense
nd forethought applied to tho build
y OF cities. 1t is the most. practical
Ind Of practical business sense applied
y people who have love enough for
'eir city to want 1t to be lovely, faith
1ough In 1t to believe in its future,
nd pride enough in 1t to want to hand
down to their children in better con-
ton than that in which they received
from their fathers
Tho best method of getting this i'm
3ortant forward step Is by the spread
sound ideas for the formation OF an
hlightened public opinion. which will
eek and act upon the advice OF those
Fho by special training, education and
Experience are competent to advise, and
OF be content with the f1eeting notions
the average man in the street upon
ubtects on which, in the nature of
1ings. his opinion can be of no value.
Ii helped along by the voluntary CO.
peration OF those citizens who have
nough civic pride to want to see their
lty improved and it's growth wisely
ontrolled. and enough sense to know
no difference between a wood chopper
nd a cabinet-maker.
TOT MERELY AN
AESTHETIC HOBBY
The average man In any community
links. at frst blush, that city plan
Ing 10 merely an aesthetic hobby, not
worthy OF tho consideration OF the
eripus. practical minded person he
olds himself to be. He happens to
now that plan for house or a
Ian for boat, plan for a machine.
nd. IL he be DITCH digger, a plan for
ditch Is perfectly natural and proper
hing: but the idea OF a plan for q
ity he regards something akin to a
oke. The obvious reaAon for this is
hat while he knows that all these
'ther things. and many more, are done
no
10 docs not know that cities may be.
nd many are, built from plans pre-
pared oy those who are trained in the
'usineSH Of city planning. and, not
moving IT. he thinks there is nothing
o 1t. In his folly he can see the sense
planning for detail. but not that
" planning for the whole fob
inis average man, however, is al
Ways taxpayer, and let me tell him
nat no pays out OF his own pocket in
many ways for the lack OF city plan.
AACK OF PLAN HAS COST
AMERICAN CITIES MILLIONS
In n paper entitled Water Supply Of
ne san francisco Oakland Metropoli-
an District" by II. T. Cory. n Am.
Roc. c. E., appears the following:
Tho topography and natural fea-
ures or San Francisco are such that
could have been made one OF the
most beautiful cities in the world. I'm
5louotediy. like many other places, II
grew up 'topsy fashion, and the law
put is rectangular. quite regardless of
ne conhguration OF the land There
'esuit grades ms high as 22 per cent
rho opportunity which the great fire
pr 1906 presented for redesigninR the
most important part of the city was
itilfzed. The city engineers of1ice re-
Gently stated that s2s.ooo.oo0 was the
cost OF Certain improvements, neces-
|'ary under the circumstances, but
which would have been entirely avoid
led had the city's planning been adj
iusted to the topography, as might
have been done. and that this expen-
|diture was but the beginning OF
series which from time to time must
ihe made"
COULD HAVE BEEN SAVED
BY SMALL EORETHOt-GHT
Read that statement over again, Mr..
Richmonder, and let 1t aink into your
mind that Mr.. Cory states upon the
authority OF the city engineers office
or San Francisco that $25,00o,eO0
might have been saved by-what-
some very elaborate. expensive or diff
cult thing? Not at all. but by the
simple and sensible forethought OF
making a typographical survey of the
land upon which their beloved city
rests. Assuming that they borrow
money at per cent, the San Francis
cans arc taxing themselves at the rate
or over million n year. because they
omitted this simple precaution. II
their bonds run thirty years. they will
ultimately pay out OF their pockets the
tidy sum OF 100000 for this one sin
of omission
1 can Imagine that Mr.. Average Citf-
zen, OF San Francisco, would have
thrown thousand fits IL some crazy
idealist had suggested a complete city
planning proposal that would have cost
as much as 100000 all told. including
SUCH a survey. and would have wanted
to consign him to the nearest lunatic
but observe now this same
Mr. Average Citizen as he stumbies
In the dark carrying his share of this
annual load OF a million on his back.
but probably congratulating himself
that his city has such flne public
the cost OF which he
proudly rolls around his tongue when
he tells about It. Use your own hind
sight on this one incident. and tell me
which OF the two you think the fooI
and which the wise man. But let me
advise you, Mr.. Richmonder not to ex
haust all your sympathy upon this poor
fellow In San Francisco. Keep some
Tor yourself. you are carrying the same
Kind or burden on your own back right
here In Richmond. It's like the drum
mer's overcoat, you may not be able
to see II, but it's in the account just
the game.
WHAT CITY PLANNING
DOES FOR THE CITY
The purpose OF city planning Ia to
make n city convenient, economical.
healthful, beautiful and pleasant. It's
scope does not cover the administra-
ton OF civil affairs, such as the organ
lzation and management of city de-
It deals with construction.
not with maintenance and operation.
1t determines the layout of a city, the
provision and location OF proper streets.
parks, Fairgrounds. buildings, monu-
ments. wafer supply and other public
things with a rational RELATIVELY not
only TO each other. but to tho commun- /
Ity they are designed to serve. IL
leaves nothing to haphazard. It pre-
vents mistakes. and shows how to do |
things rightly which, II wrongly done.
either cannot be changed Mt all, or can
De changed only at great expense.
In the most general sense the prob |
ems of city planning are much the |
same everywhere. but in no two cities |
ire they exactly the same, or capable |
II the same solution; and. ACCORDINGLY. |
hough each city may profit by the ex.
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