The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-12-19
Park City Has the Greatest
Chances of Any City In
United States, Declares
City Palmer In Report
After Survey Of the City
and Environs for City
Plan Commission.
Wholesale Street Exten-
sions, Establishment of
Educational and Civic Cen
ters, a New Railway Sta
ton, Building Restrictions
and Other Changes Rec
commended.

and Other Changes Rec
commended.
Bridgeport will got to the wall in
the matter of taxes unless it has the
, benefit Of economies to be derived
from a general city PLAN City
council last evening. Mr.. Nolen sub
Plan Commission, and was given the
opportunity to address the common
council. So
Several large maps, and reproduc-
tons of proposed centers in Bridge
port were presented with the report
Mr.. Nolen, in his. brief remarks, re-
ferred to these. Each member Of the
council had received a copy of the
commissions report, which detailed
the general scheme laid down for the
future of the city.
The city fathers had a peek at a
drawing of the proposed city hall
which would be one of the main
buildings in the proposed civic center
to be located at Park and Fairfield
avenues and State streets. The
drawing was a work Of art. and sew
eral Of the aldermen almost ''curled
up" when they took a slant at the
+ palatial home Of future administra-
tons.
Charles D. Davis. chairman Of the
City Plan Commission, also spoke in
explanation Of several Of the draw
ings. He told the aldermen to bear
in mind that the commission was
! planning s::for city Of 500,
The council did not act on the
commission accommodating for the
establishment Of a permanent city
plan commission.
The report Of John No1en, prepared
for the City Plan Commission, pre-
scented to the council at last nights
session, for the Identification and
simpliffcation of Bridgeport in, the
future fills many pages in q specially
designed and extensively printed
books ~ VI 49, 81 81 \ y SfT Is Is. 81
Under the caption Better City
Planning forgBrid Eeport" it's contents
is divided into a preface by the City
Plan commission that commends the
writer as well as taking exception to
particular features which throughout
the book, are contained in footnotes to
the main text; a study of main line
communications in the city; rear
rangement Of the downtown district
subdivision of the city into blocks and
lots; redistricting of the city; parks,
Fairgrounds ETC., and recommendation
of legal methods which will give the
city a permanent city planning agency
with powers and finances
Many diagrams Of the city's streets
and buildings as they have been in
the past, are now and what they might
be according to theory or as seen in
other cities Of America and Europe,
are included in the book.
Chief among the recommendations
noted in the report are the educa-
tional and civic centers that have
been proposed. Nolen recommends
the purchase Of several blocks of land
surrounding the present High school
in Lyon Terrace and the erection OF
museum and school Of commerce with
such other buildings as may later fol-
low. At the intersection of State
street, Fairfield and Park avenues and
extending west as far as Iranistan he
recommends civic center, declaring
that the growth Of the city's business
will be in that direction rather than
up Main street. He again recon-
mends the State Street bridge. The
city hall should be retained in its
present situation merely as hall of
records, He recommends the building
of d new railroad station at the foot
OF Wall street, the identifying of the
waterfront, the creation of a great
~~xsk III
ways along the entire shore front and
the west line Of the city, with great
tracts in the North End
It is proposed to cut many new.
streets and avenues throughout the
city, to widen many streets and TO
make, parkways and plazas Of others.
In his introduction Nolen asserts
ssNo other city in the United States
has the opportunity of Bridgeport"
which has grown by leaps and bounds
during the last two years and will not
now stop increasing it's population
until it reaches 100000.
'aF'tilroeuh
Failure to provide houses" is
commented upon radically by the
writer who says: Errors as far as
there have been errors, are not the
IaulL OIL lHulVlOudlS DuC largely LnelC
lack of reasonably far-sighted bust
ness-like city planning"
The chief evils, not too late to be
corrected, hei says, are closely con-
nected with the laying out Of
streets, especially the main streets Of
communication; the congestion Of the
downtown district; the stupid lot and
block system which is largely the re-
suit Of chance or speculative develop
ment; the unnecessary overbuilding
on the land used for dwellings, espec-
tally for workingmen; the lack Of
regulation and control of different
building districts for different pur-
poses, thus failing to provide better
facilities for factories and also for
homes; and neglect in setting saide
adequate parks. Fairgrounds and
other open spaces"
Pointing out the necessity for more
consideration Of main thoroughfares
he calls attention to the increasing
trafic conditions, the speed vehicles
and the dangers In crossing streets,
deprecating the overhead and under
ground railway system as productive