Evening star., 1927-11-06

H1HSs llh0 ZOHlIlSs HAS LflrOuRT
the country like wildfire in the last 2C
years or So. Sooner or later cities
have come to realize that they are
growing without thought as to where
this growth will lead them. and at this
stage they hasten to call in experts
for assistance in drawing up a plan
When the plan is completed it is given
full publicity and received by the city
with a burst of civic pride correspond
ing TO a military salute of 81 guns
the experts are thanked profusely and
paid for their labors, and a great sigh
of relief issues over the fact that a
knotty problem has been encountered,
studied and solved.
Many of these city plans remain
only plans, with nothing to indicate
that they are ever to be adopted Off
cially and put into effect. But the
cities which have plans take great
comfort from that thought alone, and
fondly hope that some day the mayor
and the city council will see their way
clear to put the plans into effect. In
the meantime, the future growth OF
the city progresses more or less ac-
cording to the plan, whether or not 1t
has been officially adopted, for there Is
always the thought that something
later have to be undone. SO that a
city with a plan is much better of
than a city without one.
Experts Are Stumped.
In the last few years, however, a
greater and more difficult problem
than mere city planning has made its
appearance on the horizon. For want
of a better name. this problem goes
under the name of regional planning.
But the experts themselves are con-
fessedly stumped when pinned down
to defining what constitutes region
that is. they are stumped If unanimity
of opinion is sought. AS matter OF
fact. each of them has his own pet
definition. During the recent traVel-
ing meeting" Of the American CIVIC
Association in New England, there
was a round-table discussion or the
question: What is a Region one
Of the Boston newspapers reported the
subject as What Is a Religion! ana
in reality there is more similarity De.
tween the two questions tnan misnI
be supposed. This similarity hes IN
the fact that a proper dennltlon oI
s;.her 5enends almost wholly upon the
point of view. ,.. on
regional planning is subject so
comma ratfvely new that it still re-
mains in the experimental stage. one
community will consider its region
for which il must plan to be tnat
territory lying five miles beyond the
citv limits. Another will define ITS
region as the territory to be consio'
cred in planning water system LOT
itself and its neighboring communities.
Another will define the region IN reia'
tion to a system of highways or In
the distribution of it's public utilities
among the suburbs. A broad defiri-
tion of the region is that territory
embracing a group OF persons VINO
possess a common problem in pian-
ming for their present and future
needs in the matter of health, safety,
morals, order, convenience, prosperity
and general welfare. Thus the
boundaries Of region are hard 10
denote by the common method OF
drawing blue lines or sticking colored
pins here and there on map. The
so-called metropolitan area Of Wash
ington liz understood to extend to
definite distance into Maryland and
Virginia, a distance which does not
exceed a few miles in any one direc-
ton. But IL the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission saw
1T 10 plan a highway from the Capital
to the proposed Shenandoah national
park, more than a hundred miles
away. the making Of this plan would
come within its duties as planning for
the regional development of Washing
ton. It is not difficult to understand
therefore that, faced at the outset
with the problem of defining a region.
planning for that region and organ
izing the machinery for putting those
plans into effect are still more diff
cult.
With few precedents to guide them,
and each with it's individual concep-
ton of its region, number of the
larger cities are now working out
their plans for regional develop
ment. Regional planning is the natu-
raj continuation of city planning.
Consistency Is Necessary.
The city plan would be an obvious
failure if it stopped short at the city
limits. The automobile has served to
extend cities over a wider territory,
and the plan for the city proper and
for the country surrounding II should
be consistent. Maintenance of clear
roadways, good rapid transit facilities,
are vitally important TO some suburbs
and towns. Inadequate roads, bad
spproa ches to bridges and objection
able uses of land in one community
NAV prove intolerable in their effect
upon others. So that orderly develop
ment from the point of view OF the
region as a whole must come eventu'
ally as result Of plans made for the
region. Even before regional plan.
ming became known as such, a mum.
Der Of the States provided for regional
undertakings in the handling Of water
and sewerage systems for contiguous
communities bv the designation of
sanitary and utility districts. under
the control Of commissions. States
have combined to handle co-opera
lively their common problems Of flood
. control and land drainage. But it is
only recently that cities have under.
taken to designate their regional
boundary lines and plan within them
for water, sewerage, highways, public
utilities. parks. Fairgrounds. schools
zoning and even airports, at one time
One of the outstanding examples OF
regional planning work is afforded to
dav in New York City, where the
Russell Sage Foundation has financed
the making of a regional plan foi
New York City and its environs by q
group OF Holeo experts. He -NeM
York region includes the area within
% miles OF the center Of Manhattan
and takes in parts of New jersey ant
Connecticut. When it is completed
the plan will he described in a report
10 he published in 10 or II volumes
II in 10 include the location of roads
markets, recreational or park areas
and a multitude of other subject:
which must be considered by a grea
city planning for its future. II will
Arobably be the most authoritative
work on regional planning yet pro
duced, but there is considerable con
lecture over what is to become of i
after IL Is finished.
Ii will be turned over to Mayo
Walker, but what the mayor will d.
with il nobody knows. Carrying int
effect such plan as that contem
= plated for New York would cost
-