Evening star., 1927-10-26
CIVIC ASSOCIATION
TOURS PROVIDENCE
IN PLANNING STUDY

Continued from First Page.)
the gumption to see that plans for
the development of internal Wash
ington should have some relation to
external Washington
Some of us are now trying to
remedy few of these Mistakes sa
Mr.. Delano, trying to develop an in.
terest in planning for Washington s
growth. net only on the part of the
residents of the Capital who have no
vote, but on the part of the citizens
of the United States who do have a
vote. We are making an effort to put
Washington back on the map which
Washington. Jefferson and others
planned for it,"
Errors Emphasized.
But Washington's failure to carry
out its original plans or to plan long
ago for its regional development be-
yond the city limits has not been
unique. While Boston was held UP by
some speakers as a well-near perfect
example of wisdom in city and regional
planning, other speakers empha sized
what they considered to be glarIng
errors of neglect in this development
Visitors to Boston with the civic as
ooNidllOiI ltun Ddu DUiliLcd Out III tItcIt
the Charles River Basin, and the Dos.
tom docks and harbor as wonderful
illustrations of civic Improvement.
But these were in turn held up to
ridicule by DIR. e. Howard Walker.
prominent Boston architect and past
member of the National Commission
of Fine Arts, who referred to the
Charles River Basin as half baked
plan" and suggested that it would be
better for the city OF. Boston if all
her fine new docks could be torn
down. He characterized the develop
ment of Boston'S plans as a constant
fight against ignorance. stupidity ana
selfishness, attributes which he inn
piled were shared by all American
communities and must be overcome
by the educational efforts of such or
ganizations as the American Civic
Association.
Thomas Adams. director of the
regional plan of New York and en-
yirons, declared that while Boston
started the growth of regional plan
ming in this country, it has allowed
the growth to pass it, through it's
failure to deal with it's own plan
comprehensively as a whole instead
of in small districts as particular
problems arose therein. He described
the effort of New York to make up
now for it's failure in the first place
to provide open spaces in the city for
its millions, which now means the
setting up of proper and intricate
machinery to provide for circulation
of these millions out of the city to
the country, where the open spaces
are being provided. Where one acre
per unit of population would have
sufficed years ago, two acres must
1ea InI 10
the difficulty of accessibility and
transportation.
Movement Urged.
The speaker suggested that a goal
for the efforts of the Civic Associa.
tion lay IN setting on foot a move.
ment toward country planning" or
work toward the adoption of Il plan
for the Nations growth. as well as
for the growth of its different com.
munities. Such plan is needed for
the country as whole as well as for
its Capital, he said.
While the Boston metropolitan dis
trict is in turn held up to technical
praise and technical ridicule, it's de-
velopment today stands nevertheless
as an example of what might have
been done in Washington, but was
not done, and what the Park and
Planning Commission hopes still to
do. Bostons use of streams and
waterways, for instance. around
which TO center parks and parkWays
has been commented upon by visit
ing Washing tonians who are inter
ested in the work of the Park and
Planning Commission. Boston and
its metropolitan district have utilized
these streams and their valleys as
natural park sites. Instead of build
ing expensive storm sewers, in which
TO divert The streams and cover them
up. Boston has bought the land sur
rounding such streams end made OF
1t parks and parkwayS.
IT was not so many years ago that
there was talk of building conduit
from the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge
over Rock Greek to the Potomac
River. and by diverting Rock Creek
into this conduit The Rock Creek Val
ley could have been filed i'm and used
for building. The cost of the project
would have been around $4,000, 900
Fortunately, il was never carried out
and the Park Commissions purchase
Of the land in this valley as a con
nocting link between Potomac and
Rock Creek Parks has cost about 81.
800. .000--and instead of a fiIied-in val
Icy, there remains today the potentia
beauty of this connecting link. bull
around a beautiful flowing stream and
considered such an important part oi
the city's park systems.
The recent purchase by the Park
Commission of 20 acres in this valley
for s89,a00 has not only been a sav
ing TO the taxpayers, but has added
another bit of park.
Extension Possible.
These are examples of how the Park
commission is now trying to extend
Mashlngton's park system, Is Boston
mas extended hers--by utilizing val
Isys and streams which otherwise
Wcnid be filled in for building. The
Sian is not confined In its possibili