The Washburn leader., 1915-09-17
CITY PLANNING IN
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
r. [. Alderman Urges Instrue-
tIon In Town Improvement.
EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT.

EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT.
Member Of Committee on Town Plan
ming Says We Can Acquire Correct
Standards Only by Teaching Succeed.
ing Generations.
Frederic L. Alderman, member OF
the committee on town planning Of the
American Institute of Architects, advo-
Gates the teaching Of city planning in
the public schools. 1t is his idea that
only by educating succeeding genera
tions Of the public through the medium
Of the public school may we acquire
correct standards for remaking our
present cities and for building new
ones, and he brought 1t out in recent
address on 1.-The Architectural Side of
City Planning" which he has had re-
printed.
MIR. Ackerman's theory. as he himself
points out, is more concerned with
education than with architecture. His
main theme is that the architectural
side of city planning is dependent upon
proper methods Of educating future cit
izens up to high standards Of archi-
tectural beauty. Architecture depends
so utterly upon the physical conditions
Of an environment he says, that unless
these conditions be reasonable archi
lecture can do nothing.
He refuses to limit his definition Of
the term city planning. 1t is not mere
ly series Of legislative acts imposing
set Of conditions to which a peoples
life must be warped into conformity.
says Mr.. Alderman, nor is it merely
the carrying out Of certain theories de-
veloped by city planners, engineers and
students of social and economic condi-
tions or of the ideals of an architect
1t is not merely providing for adequate
transportation, proper sanitation, bet
ter housing or more beautiful surround
ings. 1t is all of these, with more add
ed to the list. City planning, in brief.
is provision for more adequate physi-
cal expression of the composite ideals
of groups of people thrown together
by social and economic forces.
"Our composite thought and our cul-
ture are expressed in our physical en-
yironment through many subtle forces
and influences. both conscious and un-
conscious" says Mr.. Ackerman. "City
planning is not substitute for these
forces; it is rather conscious effort to
transform our vague ideals of commu-
nifty living into forms which will ac-
curately express such ideals"
The secrets of our culture and what
Mr.. Ackerman calls our composite
thought are revealed by our rural
homes. villages and cities. Our ideals
are, or should be, expressed by these
as we'll, for our institutions are built
largely through their conscious and
unconscious influence. Disappointing.
then, are our ideals If We must judge
from the physical appearance Of our
typical American cities" The truth
is, according to Mr.. Alderman. that our
ideals are high enough, but We do not
yet understand how to correlate them
to our physical surroundings and condi-
tions. Correct correlation is to be
achieved through education. he argues.
Mr.. Ackerman's method Of teaching
city. planning to the school child would
begin with making it clear to the child
that there are things for him to consid-
er in our towns and cities which are
vital to his comfort and well being and
which incidentally have to do with ar
chitecture and art. The idea is to in.
still in the child's mind keen interest
In the various phases of his physical
environment and its possible improve
ment.
The failure Of the "city beautifur'
appeal in city planning Mr.. Alderman
attributes to the fact that it has moth
ing to do with the peoples ideal con-
cerning living conditions. The people
are not yet developed to the point
where they can see that the aesthetic
has a definite economic value. They
respond. however. to an appeal for bet
ter city planning when approached
from the standpoint Of social and
economic values. taking into consider
alton such subjects as housing. santa
ti6n and congestion. This response Is
due to the fact that the people rec
ognize an intimate relation between
city planning and their ideals Of ia
diyfdual rights. liberty and adequate
physical environment.