The record., 1917-03-15
COUNTRY and
town PLANNING
The InterdependonCe Of CiIy
and Rural Districts.
need OF EXPERT ADVICE
Number of Small Towns, Villages and
Rural Communities Which Feed the
Larger Centers Have Intricate Prob
lens and Need Expert Assistance, Es-
pecaIIy Those Near Great Cities.

pecIaIiy nose near Oreat cities.
We now realize as never before the
of city and country,
writes Philip II. Elwood, Jr., in the
American City. This is essential to
the sound growth of the nation. Yet
the development of the city has receiv-
ed much more careful study and plan
ming than has that of the country. 1t
is time that organized ~and intelligent
forethought be brought to bear on the
many intricate problems of rural plan
ming.
The following arc the most impOr
tant agencies for the advancement of
country and town planning at the pres
ent time:
American Civic association.
Town and village planning boards.
The landscape profession.
Highway commissioners.
Village Improvement societies.
Chambers of commerce and boards Of
trade.
Art societies and commissions.
Lecturers.
University and state college extension
service.
The above agencies are tWofold-
viz:
- Educational,
Constructive.
The majority arc heavily inclined to-
ward the educational. which is nn
doubt best, but following the educa-
tional we must provide means of exc
cution and construction.
In cities of course the situation is
different. There large projects involv
ing considerable outlay are the rule.
and trained men, such as architects,
landscape architects, engineers and
lawyers, are Immediately called into
consultation, and plans are preparedain
buSinesslike way.
But the thousands of small towns
villages and rural communities which
feed the larger centers have intricate
problems and need expert assistance
especially in the neighborhood of i'm
portant cities where unsightly and in
sanitary conditions exist just beyond
the city's jurisdiction. The larger
cities are now growing into the coun
try, and means of access should be i'm
proved and the country towns and vii
lagos made to serve the cities without
losing their individuality.
Who is 10 help them? Suppose they
have a village improvement society or
ganized by we'll meaning citizens t.
eliminate some obvious evil. What
can such an organization do i'll large
way with only the funds collected from
sales, annual dues, suppers OF Other
questionable means? Who is to hell
them in their worthy efforts to create
something of which the best citizens
may be proud?
One of the chief thoughts brought
out at the recent national conference
on city planning was the one vOicc(
by Thomas Adams of Canada when he
said that our great need in the United
States was for some centralized con
troll of the planning of our small towns
and rural districts. Shall We attemp
to form another national organization
for the promotion of this idea, OF shall
able? For the present the latter seem:
to be the wiser course.
We have in nearly every state LII the
Union working organization, backed
by the federal government. which, i
the people ask, can be developed tt
serve our needs in the planning ant
execution of our village and country
improvement problems. refer to tn,
extension departments of our state uni
yersities and colleges. Here we hav,
state help and separate working uni
in each state promoting and assisting
public undertakings in our small town
and rural communities. The worl
must be judiciously administered o
unsatisfactory results and much crit
lcism will follow.
This is no untried method as it ha
been followed for several years il
Massachusetts, and some Of the Othe
states are now taking up the work
To avoid criticism from prOfessiOna
men and to carry out the work i'll
satisfactory manner the lOllOWLl
points have been quite clearly demon
strated by practice thus far:
! Only work of a PUBLIC nature should b
undertaken, except for bona fdc farmers
getting major incomes from the soil.
Towns sufficiently large and prosperou
are referred to Independent professions
men:
All actual expenses are charged to tn
community served. The services of til
expert are furnished by the state.
Where distances vary greatly, as in
large state, the state may pay travelin
expenses beyond q certain point
Careful records Of all operations shoul
be kept, and 4 thorough follow up" car
ried out.
The execution of plans should be Yer
El3sGty supSfintended to avoid waste {
time and money. In short, the constTuc
lion and general handling of the work ar
carried on very much as from regula
professional office.
The idea Of cooperation among til
various states should be fOstered. Lie
those who have had experiences te
others of their successes and failure:
SO that the mistakes of one state wi
not be repeated il another.