Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1915-06-05
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.

| 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
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 it's
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 it has to be done
secretly-right under the eyes of the
| GeImans-and smuggled out of the
country piece by piece. The means
by which this is accomplished. and
| who is doing II, 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 more 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 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 courS Sc. 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 it 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;
No but undoubtedly there will be
remarkable changes. Belgian cities
and towns have grown up in 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-
uuirements 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 gem
eral project as follows;
Vseount 5ryee's Ideas.
Town planning is a comparatively
new science in this country In the
middle ages beauty came naturally,
mems minds were fun 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 out
the BELGIAN cities afresh is to try to
eombat the beauty which belonged to
the ancient cities with the conditions
now recognized as being requisite 10
the health and well being OF large
modern communities,
The other work that the committee
is doing. at present is principally edu-
catonal. 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, stFeet-car