Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1922-11-24


wy the city through q period 81 years
graduate become like the plan.
The basic purpose of city planning
is to improve traffic conditions and
thereby lessen the cost Of transports
lion and promote trade, to improve
and safeguard the standards 81 the
presidential areas and thereby stabilize
property values, to improve retail
business districts and make them
more desirable by keeping out the
factory and the warehouse, improving
their standards and reputation as re.
tail streets, and to create ample rec.
reati0nal areas for the needs OF the
people. F. .@>'>.'~ i-,' II
"A city plan is program based on
careful study Of the physical and So
cial conditions of the city. An engi.
neer. an architect, statistician and
an economist are the four professions
called on in city planning.
"City planning is not city beaut!
fcation,' although the average man
may be excused for believing it to be
such. The city Identification idea
has been played up to the limit by the
professional magazine writer. City
planning in the final analysis is a
matter of engineering and economics
It is based on a scientific study of ex
listing conditions to which is applied
engineering analysis and economic Sc
lection. It is a necessary and legitl
mate municipal function, and it's true
purpose and intent is to promote bust
ness and foster the city's growth b.
making it easier and less costly to
carry on business and the city beau
tiful' is a natural result.
1T may be apparent from the start
that city planning program cover
ing a period of years can best be ori
ginated by an independent body of
citizens unhampered by political in
fluences. When one considers for a
moment the origin of existing cities
there can be little question as to the
necessity of a city plan, for in the
majority of cases a real estate pla:
prepared by the proprietor of the land
| SC, h. ofn oif This 1T
is made for the purpose Of selling lots
and the streets are laid down upon
the plat for the purpose of bounding
lots rather than with any view to
their use or adequacy as a transport
tation medium Cross streets are pro.
vided to create corner lots. With
these motives behind the basic plan
of every city it would be purely al
accident if the resulting conditions
after years of growth were in any
way adequate for the promotion OF
commerce or the convenience of the
people.
"A city is great according to it's de.
gree of civilization and cities with
courage have the highest property
values There is no inherent value
in business lot on your street, it is
the spirit of business that surrounds
that lot that gives it it's value. The
same is true of the value of property
in your best residential areas, Tor
as someone has said human values
and land values run parallel. 1t is
upon these values that city collects
through taxation the money required
for carrying on the government and
maintaining the city plant. Other
things being equal, the higher tho
property value the less is the tax rate
and the way to reduce your tax rate is
to create property values. Certain
districts and streets in the city be
come inadequate, the result is migra'
ton from that district to more suita'
BILE one. This results in a loss, first
to the city in the assessable property
values, and second, the actual loss to-
the owner. Districts may be affected
by obsolescence which may be due to
sound economic reasons, or to a fad, or
to real estate propaganda. It is the
purpose of city planning to rehabili.
tate these blighted districts and re-
| create therein values by program
of improvement work that will re-
move the cause of obsolesence.
zone OF the chief costs of city life
! is the cost of transportation. Com
modities are hauled over our streets
great many times, from the freigh:
station, factory or team track to the
warer ouse, from the warehouse to the
wholesaler, the wholesaler to the re-
taller and from the retailer to the
consumer. Transportation is the Ito
blood of the city, and it is to traffic
facilities that the city planner must
give his greatest attention.
"City planning touches upon OUR
civic life in a multitude Of ways and
city planning board must consider
itself q research board and a clearing
house for the ideas of the citizens.
A basis for any city plan is survey.
a scientific study Of existing condi.
TONS, The survey must cover traffic
and pedestrian counts, street widths
and their relation to the immediate
H.