The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1926-03-18
EMINENT EXPERTS TO.
GIVE ADDRESSES AT
NATIONAL MEETING
OPENING MARCH 20
Especial To The citizenl

o. re EhDDDhGs rla., Marcn
1.-two Of the most eminent
City Planning experts in the
country are featured to give adj
dresses on their life work at the
coming 18th National Conference
Oh City Planning which is to open
here March 29. The men are
John Nolen, President of the Con-
ference, and Frederick Law Ohm
stead, noted both as a Planning
leader and as a landscape archi-i
tect.
Mr. Nolen will speak on "Com-
niunities Planned to Meet New
Conditions and Mr.. Olmstead's
topic will be, "The Planning of
Resort Communities.n
Either Of these subjects will be
Of specific interest to Key West,
one perhaps no more than the
other, for Key West surely must
needs be planned to meet new
conditions. and the likelihood is,
50 the civic leaders there assert,
that these new conditions must
develop very largely along the
lines of a resort community.
Dir. Nolen's speech win be pre-
senfed at the beginning of the.
conference one week from next
Monday. and while it will take
the form Of the annual address of
tbs President of the body, it
pkomises to be one Of the most
Important addresses in the many
scheduled for the week. A while
ago Mr. NoIen published book,
'keplanning Small Cities" and
this work has proved to be one Of
tke most valuable of recent addi-
ti6nz to planning literature In re-
cert years.
The preface to iris work Of
21s pages Is 50 wholly pertinent
tos the situation today in Key
West. that portions Of It seem Of
real news value for reproduction
At this moment when Mr.. Nolsen
Is 20 come to Florida to preside
over the approaching National
Conference.
John Nolen. President of the
National Conference on City Plan
ming, says:
ssWith small cities comprehen-
sive planning may be to them of
faF-reaching and permanent SER
vice. There is scarcely anything
IN the smaller cities that may not
be changed. For example, rail-
road grade crossings may be eli
minated. water-fronts reclaimed
for commerce or recreation, or
both; open spaces acquired even
IN built-up sections.
"A satisfactory street plan may
be carried out; public buildings
may be grouped in ut least an
orderly way, and a park system,
made up Of well-balanced public
grounds can be outlined for
gradual and systematic develop
ment.
IAN of these civic elements,
indispensable sooner or later to
3 progressive community, may be
had ia the small city with relative
ease and at slight cost. As we
have given heretofore too much
attention to the wreckage Of So
ciety. and too little towards es-
tahlishing a better social order
that would permanently reduce
the amount Of that wreckage. so
we have expended too much OF
our energy in almost futile con-
sideration of the ills that afflict
our great cities, instead of pro-
viding against an unnecessary
repetition Of those self-same ills
ia cities that are today small.
"PoteEtiaiiy almost every Inn
provement is possible in small
cities. Each part may be changed
50 as to serve well its purpose,
The replanning of small cities
takes on added importance when
We consider how great is their
number. Rapid as has been the
growth Of our large cities, those