The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-07
NE W YORK zONE LAWS FOR JAPAN
Committee Made Exhaustive Study Of Plans Prior
 To Disaster

NEW YORK, Nov. 6.-JuSt before the earthquake, Japan concluded an investigation of New York's zoning system. National legislation was
 passed to apply it to several large cities, and the government advocated extending the laws tt' all cities with a population of 50,000 or more. A committee of three Japanese had vis- lited New York and made an exhaust I i've study of the system. The disaster offers opportunity for installing the system now.
 New Yorlk's system has been ac- cepted by more than 200 towns and cities of the United States and sev- 1 eral foreign countries. The laws l have been modified to suit local con ditions. but the principle remains the 1 same. The movement dates from 1916
 and has been accelerated by the
 building famine following the war. | London recently has modified
 many of it's building laws as di-
 rect result of the example set by New York. For many years height
 situation complicated by obsolete | laws affecting light space dating i back to the time of Queen Elizabeth. For instance, che of these laws | makes it necessary to build an en- | trance hall before each bathroom. |
 ing up unnecessary space and adding | to the expense. As a result of Lon ! dons new zoning laws, an American
 is now erecting a building 1SO feet
 in height and other drastic changes
 are in progress. England even is ap-
 plying the new Zoning regulations to
 suburban properties with gratifying | results. The Ltndon laws fail, how | ever, to affect the use of buildings IS
 we do at present in New York, where | the height of a structure, it's use and locality are considered.
 Paris has had a system for regu- 1ating its buildings since before the
 republic. These laws rigidly restrict | the height of structures and tend to
 keep them uniform. They especially favor the mansard roof. As result
 Paris. as viewed from height, has | a uniform appearance. The Paris laws, however, fail to regulate build l ings according tC their use, as in American cities under the zoning
 laws. The French authorities again, pass on the architectural designs or 1 buildings, whereas in America or serious encroachment on personal
 liberty. The New York zoning laws also have had considerable influence
 upon both Denmark and Sweden, | number of cities having followed the 1 ideas which originated here.
 The success of the New York zon- | ing system is largely due to the care
 taken in arranging its legal status.
 In Europe all laws affecting such regulations are acts of legislation or | the elict of some sovereign and are ! considered final In the United States. with our system of state con- stitutions, the courts have the power | of dictating in each state and could ! overrule any such legislation. A mu-
 nicipal ruling may come in conflict with state control. It was therefore | necessary to work out plans care | fully so that the zoning laws would conform with police control and have | the approval of the courts. The le- gal phase of the zoning laws has | been developed so successfully that the New York system has been ex- | tended throughout the United States. The zoning laws have been de- vised with every possible considera- tion for the rights of private prop | erty. A number of amendments have been added which enable any local | ity to modify them to suit it's own peculiar local conditions. Before the adoption of the zoning system land owner in any large city could erect a building as high as he pleased on any site in any neighbor- hood and use it for almost any pur- pose he chose, without considera- tion of the injury to his neighbors. In residential neighborhoods high apartments without restrictions might be built on the street line with windows looking out upon the private residences. The owners I the
 latter would be forced out ana Tn time the apartment houses them
 selves would suffer from lack of re-
 striction. The business streets could
 be used for factories until custom
 CTS would be driven away ana the
 street in time become practically de-
 serted. A stable or garage mlght
 ruin surrounding properties A rac-
 torv whose smoke and fumes were
 a public nuisance might blight an
 entire neighborhood.
 Such abuses have been practically
 eliminated by creating five distinct
 area districts. In one or these are
 grouped warehouses and industrial
 plants-as a rule on waterfronts or
 railroads. In these areas buildings
 may occupy the entire lot. Another is for high office buildings or apart ment houses. A third area is re- served for non-elevator apartment houses and fourth for one and two family private residences. A firth zone in New York is devoted to highly restricted residential develop ments. ,, high buildings on New fCrk streets' !, incidentally, is an interesting by nroduct of the zoning laws which was not anticipated. The rule was
 made merely to assure better light and air. The architects recognized an opportunity for designing new tyne of building. The success of the new facades conforming to this law has attracted wide attention. The federal government. although it has no direct Jurisdictions, has been quick ] tC realize the importance or exteno- ing inc zoning laws, and has begun l the distribution of information, just | as information is distributed to farmers. any many data are being