New-York tribune., 1915-02-14
WOULD STABILIZE
PROPERTY VALUES
Beneficial Effects Of Com
prehensive City Plan
ming System.
AIM IS DEFiNlTENESS
IN DEVELOPMENT
OperaliOhs Could Be Launched,
SO a. 10 Provide for
New Conditions.


By George B. Ford, consuitalt 20
the committee on the city p!on o thc
Board % Estimate and AppoHT!oameh'
o. New YORK. Paper delivered at 'ne
conference between Fine Arts fedeE"
Ton and representatives OF real e3.a'e
Of this city.
An ollice building is not paying .veIy
well. The owner goes 20 the real eS-
tate expert 20 fro out what IS the
matter.
The expert goes minuteiy through
all the stems OF maintenance, up"eep
srd fixed charges. he looks for waste
and possibilities o. Improvement IN
ianitor. elevator OF cleansing service
Uo goes into the cost Of heating, hgh''
Does ne stop there? No. He ex'
amires also the physical plant OF the
building. Perhaps he finds that the
boiler plant is antiqua.ed and that II
would be a distinct saving TO scrap the
present plant and put in q modern ohe'
Perhaps a change N the type Of Ign
inc would considerably improve the
reTtability of the Offices. Possibly tne
rea-ranqement Of the office UNITS "ouIu
,,.l,o them more attractive. Nor docs
bo stop even here. He figures TO see
wbethcr the present improvement IS al
tbat tho location and land value war
rant He may find that 1t would De
ds.inctly better proposition 10 scrap
tho whole existing structure and Duiio
larger and ih more modern fasnio"'
In planning such building the eA-
mort macs all Of his accumulated dsta
and experience. He lays out his pian
n as to secure the greatest ease ot
sccess from the street to all parts o.
The building. He lays out his courts
ard Yards so as 70 secure inc nlsNi
mum value in well lighted, rehtaoIe
spacc. He may even ma III a nes
economy to secure a light eesemen'
ever neighboring property. ruItnei
more, he looks to the future' anu -
likely makes his columns and lounoa tiai
lions strong enough TO carry addltlona,
s.or;es at such time as the demand
nav warrant, and he provides for the
nossibiIity of adding TO his power
nlant AID elevator service without
having TO rip out his present plant:
Let US substitute the city Tor thls
oeicc building. The maintenance, up
Ercp and handling Of fixed charges
corresponds to the administrator ol
tIe citv's business. The rest is city
Manning" The city, with the ssugges-
ton and help of citizen bodies mas re.
Gently ben studying sclenthcaliy tne
whole problem OF administration WIN
the result of effecting much economy
and increase in efficiency. Inc com
n,;ttee on the City Plan of the BOARD
Of Estimate and Apportionment' WIN
its advisory commissions. is underlaH-
inc to do the same thing for the pnysI-
cal plant. 1t would apply the same iI
science and put the same buslness-ilhe
and broad-viewed order into the con
troll of the improving OF properly
whether public or private tnat tne reaf
estate expert puts into the Design y.
his plant. This is city planning. IL
is not squandering OF the taApaS-
ers' money on mere prettiness' tieaie"
forbid! 1t is regulating oi une oaTe
nroyements With the city must Hahe
for a healthy, normal growth so tnat
averv dollar which the city spends VIII
go where it will count the most aS
sheer business proposition. L;1
City planning conserves and stapil-
;1ea real estate values. Perhaps lIS
6rst duty Is to undertake TO prevent as
Far as possible the demorailzlng snllI-
INC of real estate values from wnlcn
New York is suffering so acutely Juso
nov Every energy is being bent 70
study of this most important proDlelh
70 see what plans and control VIII pest
tend to put defniteness and eVenheSs
into the development and growth ol
tbe citv Careful studies are being
made and essential data are being COZ
iected 10 show the trend OF the grown
~ tbe citv ard to determine for what
L;rd of development each portion OF
,be citv is best suited, so that the I'M
movements undertaken or the restric-
,iors suggested in any district may De
sncb as will tend to help its develop
ment and to Improve the real estate
values of the neighborhood.
Again, city planning prevents dupt.,
cation OF Improvement work; IL sees
10 II that the subdivision plan whlcn
Tho citv accents for a tract IN queens
vi, not have TO be done over again
Nth a great waste of the taxpayers
money twenty-five years hence II
would see TO it that the main thor
onghf fares do not have to be widened
Of great cost when the growth OF tne
city demands more ample fsciiitles iol
traffic or transit lines. City planning
Years ago would have saved the sI,ooo,-
GOO we are spending for the extension
of Seventh Avenue. City planning
wopld have avoided the spending OF
s5 600 900 for three little breathing
spots in the lower East Slde. olCy
manning would have avoided the great
land condemnation costs for water
front improvement in Manhattan or
Rrooklyn. 1t would see 10 it that every
Improvement should be designed WIN
a Tiew not only 20 present needs, but
as far as it is possible TO foresee, 10
the hest interests of the city and prop
erty owner when the population Is
oouble or treble what il is now.
City planning co-ordinates the nm
movements of the city. For example,
in considering waterfront terminal
development, it would see TO 1t tnat
NOT only the terminal plan itself should
he a good business proposition for al
concerned and that il was laid out as
thoroughly economical and efficient
plant. but it would also take into ac-
count the problem Of so designing the
whoIe surrounding territory az best 10
6t II for its normal use in connection
With the terminal. II would look INTO
Tho LAYOUT of approaching streets TO
sae II they were so located and or suen