Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1915-06-04
PLAN REBUILDING
OF RUINED CITIES
Belgian Students of Town Plan
ming Urge Use OF Mod.
ern Methods.
AGENTS ARE GATHERING DATA
Refugees In London Map Out Task to
Begin When Invaders Are Driven
Out - 10000 Structures
Are Destroyed.

Out 10000 Structures
Are Destroyed.
London.-So confident are Belgians
that the German invaders will shortly
be driven from their country that
plans are now being discussed and
drawn up in London for the scientific
rebuilding of the devastated towns
and cities of Belgium.
The idea Of rebuilding ruined Bel.
GUM upon modern scientific lines was
originated by the International Gar.
den Cities and Town Planning associa.
ton and was enthusiastically accepted
by King Albert and the Belgian gov.
eminent, while the British govern.
ment has bestowed its official bless.
ings on the scheme.
A committee called the Belgian
town planning committee has been
formed, made up Of representatives of
the various Belgian ministries, the
Royal Institute of British Architects,
the Institute of Municipal and County
Engineers, the Town Planning Associa-
ton Of Great Britain, Belgium, France,
Holland, Poland, Russia and Spain.
At the first meeting of the commit
tee it was decided that the actual
work Of rebuilding Belgium should be
done entirely by the Belgians them
selves, from plans prepared by Bel
gian architects and engineers, and
that the work of the English and
other non-Belgian members should be
advisory.
Obliged to Work Secretly.
Each member of the committee
pledged himself not to accept any con-
tract or payment for any of the work
in connection with the rebuilding.
The committee Is now devoting its
attention primarily to securing a COM
plete civic survey of the devastated
towns and cities of Belgium. This
work is proceeding slowly but success
fully, slowly because 1t has to be done
secretly-right under the eyes of the
Germans-and smuggled out of the
country piece by piece. The means
by which this is accomplished, and
who is doing it, cannot be revealed,
as it is believed the Germans, If they
discovered it would put an effective
stop to it at once. 1t is hoped. how
ever, that within five or six weeks the
complete civic survey will have been
obtained.
Although definite plans are yet to
be formed, it is probable that the
committee will do much mores than
provide merely for the rehabilitation
of the stricken towns so as to pro-
vide homes for the war sufferers. Par
ticularly in England many men who
have made a careful study of town.
planning methods see in the present
an opportunity for the application Of
modern, scientific ideas. They urge
that "cities beautiful" such as have
been outlined in miniature worlds
fairs and on a small scale in English
garden settlements should be erected
on the ruins of the devastated Belgian
towns.
Must Consult Owners First.
1t is questionable, of course, to what
extent these methods can be en-
ployed, for there are the owners of the
property to be consulted. One-fifth Of
the adult population owned their own
homes, and the residents Of Flanders
are distinctly conservative. But 1t is
inevitable that the new Belgium will
be an improvement on the old.
Ewart G. Culpin, who is the secre-
tary of the committee and who is we'll
known in the United States through
his lectures on town planning, was
asked If the committee has decided
on any radical architectural or phys
ical changes in any of the ruined
towns. He said:
mo, but undoubtedly there will be
remarkable changes. Belgian cities
md towns have grown up In a hap
hazard sort of way. In the rebuilding
Belgian genius will find an outlet in
combining the architectural beauties
of the Flemish with the physical re-
quirements which are demanded in
modern scientific town planning"
Viscount Bryce, who opened the Re-
making of Belgium exhibition, held in
University college, spoke OF the gen.
eral project as follows:
Viscount Bryee's Ideas.
Town. planning is a comparatively
new science in this country. In the
middle ages beauty came naturally,
mems minds were full of conception
of beauty, and the very irregularity
with which cities were built was an
element of picturesqueness which the
straight lines which came into fashion
in later times could not attain. The
task of those who are going to lay cut
the Belgian cities afresh is to try to
combat the beauty which belonged to
the ancient cities with the conditions
now recognized as being requisite to
the health and well-being of large
modern communities"
Thu other work that the committee
is doing at present is principally edu.
cational. Various groups have been
formed to study the numerous prob
lens connected with modern town
planning. One group is dealing with
arterial communications, others with
types of roads, railroads, street.car
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