The broad ax., 1921-12-17
LIGHT AND AIR FOR CITY
DWELLINGS.

LIGHT AND AIR FOR CITY
DWELLINGS.
1t will hardly be questioned by
any right thinking person that facili-
ties for the proper natural lighting
and ventilating OF our homes are OF
first importance as affecting health
and comfort.
This being true. it should be worth
while to note the almost universal
lack of window efficiency in the con-
tested areas of the large cities of the
country. Out of thirty cities having
a population exceeding 100000. it
would be safe to say that at least
twenty-five of them have considerable
areas in which the dwellings are bad
ly congested. In such districts the
houses would be found crowded close
ly together with practically no side
yards and with little open space at
the rear. In a general way the win
dows which are supposed to afford
light and air to the rooms in these
dwellings may be classified as fol-
lows:
First, windows which front on
streets.
Second, windows opening toward
the rear.
Third. woindows which depend on
side yards or Courts for their supply
of light and air.
The first class, those windows which
from on the street, constitute about
one-quarter of the whole number.
Where cross streets are frequent, this
proportion will be slightly increased
by windows on the cross streets; but
in case store fronts are common. the
front windows available for living
rooms would be cut of.
In general this class of windows
provide fairly adequate lighting and
ventilation to the front room, but it
should be noticed that these rooms
are the least used of any rooms in the
house.
The second class, constituting also
a quarter of the whole number open
ing III an alley or rear yard, belong
to rooms generally used as kitchens
and constantly occupied during the
day. 1t may be safely affirmed that a
very large proportion of these win
dows afford a limited and quite in
adequate supply of light and air, be-
cause of the cramped space between
them and adjoining buildings and be-
cause of the presence. in most cases,
of rear porches and stairways which
decorate their efficiency. 1t
often happens that :he erection of
relatively tall buildings, such as ware
houses and factories, also shuts in
these windows to marked degree.
The third class of windows which /
about one-half of the total /
depend on narrow side yards, often
only a foot or two in width and on
narrow courts, always inadequate for
he lower stories of the dwelling for
lighting and ventilation of the room
within.
This analysis forces the conclusion,
llready too we'll known from actual
that not over half the
'ooms in dwellings in congested quar-
ers of large cities are really fit for
human beings to inhabit
1t is also to be noted that in only
! few of the twenty-five cities under
perhaps six in all. is
here an effective up-tJ -date building
ordinance which secures marked i'm
movement in the Construction of new
Note further that existing
'rdinances, such as they are. are uni
orm in their application to all sec
ions of the city. so that no certain
ellie from congested conditions is
ossible under established methods of
ontrol.
Zoning affords relief for such con-
itions by the application of its essen
al principle of graded regulations
hitch require more open space. larger
ack yards, wider courts and side
ards where land is cheap. than in the
uilt up congested sections where
md is dear. Five cities of the twen-
'-five under study have adopted zon-
lg and are fast understanding the
ties which are still holding the mat
r under advisement