The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-03-18
CITY Planning

When our fathers started out to conquer this
continent. thew gave little thought to anything
save the clearing of forests, the building of rail-
WAYS and the organization of industries. Towns
were q bv-product of that activity, planted
wherever it CHANGED for the time to be most con-
venient Therefore, majority of our cities
have come into existence like Topsy who ''just
grew up"
Streets were laid out without any idea of flu
turc development, factories were mingled with
dwellings and very little thought given to
what might be demanded by growth.
But now the day of reckoning has come and
we are beginning to see that a town is not like
weed which can grow anywhere and under any
circumstances but is very largely an artificial
thing which must be as carefully planned as
building.
This effort to build city with the future in
vicw to organize it in such way that all its
parts will develop in harmony with each other,
has blossomed out into the new science of city
planning.
In adopting plan, city makes map Of
itself and decides just what developments shall
be permitted in what sections, it regulates build
ing heights, it lays out factory sites, it is careful
that street extensions keep the future in view
sewers are laid in such territory as not to be
moved in the future, railways and street car
lines are compelled to branch out according to
plan and such boulevards and parks are arranged
for as will make the town harmoniously devel-
oped unit.
The city planner does just what the prudent
individual does who provides against the future.
He knows that land values are constantly rising
in the city and is therefore anxious to buy prop
erty for parks not only of such may
be needed, but such as the city will need in
the future. He is careful to see that the play
grounds are established where the coming gener-
atons can use them as we'll as the present. and
he demands that private enterprise, in fair and
just degree, be subordinated to the purpose and
plan Of the city whole
City planning is not theory still hanging in
the air, but in many towns is an accomplished
fact For thirty years. German municipali-
ties have had city planning ordinances in opera
ton. And what the advantages when a city
develops according to specifications rather than
according to chance is we'll known to every trav-
eler who has visited those beautiful towns
But in this country city planning has
passed the experimental stage New York is al
ready at it. Boston has accomplished much in
that direction. Minneapolis has some excellent
ordinances and Washington, our capital city, is
shining example of the superiority of plan
mere chance
The American City Bureau of New York City
has collected large amount of interesting data
city planning and has arranged it in the form
of exhibit. BY of the lectures which
are given in connection and the charts, maps
photographs, etc, which are shown, the business
man who has never before heard of city planning
is made to that it is only the city which de-
reiops itself in this scientific and business like
fas oion that is going to be successful in its future
competition with sister cities Members of the
present city administration testify that plan
agreed upon by the city as whole would not only
make their work much easier and more efficient
but would. in the coming decades, save the CITY
many hundreds of thousands of dollars