Evening star., 1925-02-22
CITY PLANNING LAW
PASSAGE IS URGED
Trade Board Group Says
Commission Is Needed for
Satisfactory Work.

Enactment las soon as possible of
legislation pending In both houses OF
Congress to create a city planning
commission for the District of Co.
lumbia is urged in a report of the
committee on municipal art of the
Washington Board of Trade, made
public last night.
"At the present time the several
activities included within this bill,
where covered at all, are under sew
eral authorities, which does not make
for satisfactory work, and 1t would
be a great Improvement to have all
of these things centralized in such a
commission as provided in this bill,
the report said.
The District committee Of the
House has already reported favor
ably on the bill. The measure in
the Senate is sponsored by Senator
King of Utah. Representative f. N.
Zihlman of Maryland introduced the
bill in the House. The bills call for
a co-ordinating planning commission
to be composed Of an architect, a
landscape architect, municipal engi-
neer and two other members, all of
distinguished experience in city plan
ming, to serve without compensation.
The commission is also to Include
representatives of the District Com
missioners, the Park Commission and
the Fine Arts Commission, cooper
ating with representatives of Mary
land and Virginia, and Is to report
not later than January 1, 1925.
The proposed commission has been
indorsed by the Washington chapter
of the American Institute of Archi-
tects, the American Society of Land
scape Architects, the American City
Planning Institute and the National
City Planning Conference.
Reporting favorably on the meas
ure in the House, the House District
committee pointed out many features
of the proposed commission which
would aid existing agencies IN the devel-
opment of Washington and would Go
much to restore the original outlines
Of the LEnfant plan, and carry 1t
out to the environs of Washington
beyond the vision Of its sponsor.
"The great Federal city established
as the seat of Government should be-
come the most beautiful and well ar
ranged capital in the world, the
House report said. "The physical de-
yelopment and improvements of the
city are under the direction OF num-
ber of distinct departments which
, pursue distinct policies. There is no
planning commission to lay down
practical lines for orderly improve
ment, to prevent the overlapping OF
functions and to forestall the recur-
renee of mistakes, which have been
made in the past because of lack OF
| foresight and proper city planning
Pointing to the many schemes that
are offered at each session of Con-
gress for the improvement of the
city, the District committee said a
| thorough going physical examination
is necessary before any Intelligent or
rational correction can be made.
THAT is the function of the plan
ming commission created by the bill
| The commission will not interfere
with existing agencies, but through
| interlocking memberships 1t proposes
| to examine each project in its rela-
| tion to other projects and to general
conditions, and to develop lines OF
activity in the order Of their relative
| Importance"
Washington's highway system espe-
cially demands intelligent study, the
| committee concluded, motor traffic
| having brought new problems which
must be solved, while another i'm
perative need Is IAN intelligent and
rational scheme in conformity to
which both public and private i'm
provements in the District of Colum-
| bia and environs shall be projected
and constructed" The committee
| predicted that within the next quar-
ter of century the undeveloped area
within the District will be occupied