Evening star., 1928-10-30
COMPOSITE zON|NC|
PROTECTS SUBURBS
District, Maryland and Vir-
ginia Plan Co-ordinated
Regulations.
by WILL p. KENNEDY.


nomic, efficient, esthetic nd stable
co-ordinated development of residential
and business areas in their proper re-
lationShip not only within the mu-
nicipal boundaries of the National
Capital but radiating out into the
neighboring States of Maryland and
Virginia, official commissions represent
ing those States are cooperating with
officials of the District Of Columbia and
the National, Capital Park and Planning
Commission for a composite coming of
the entire region.
Previous articles in this series have
shown Cd how the parkway develop
ment of the entire Washington area
Is being carefully co-ordinated by CO.
operation of Maryland, Virginia, the
District of Columbia and the Federal
commissions: !(2) how radial highways
are being laid out to best fit in with
the topography Of the land, the needs
of traffic both locally and to link up
with the great highways connecting
populous cities, and to aid in efficient
building UP of the suburban region;
(3) how system of major thorough
fares within the 10-mile boundary of
the District has been charted to take
tourist travel off these radial high
ways and to best promote the orderly
flow of traffic within the Federal City
The map printed with this article
shows how the scheme of coming with
in the District is being carried over the
border into Maryland. thus insuring
that residential areas will not find COM
Ynercial or industrial areas thrown
against them. across the State line, and
80 making stable the investments made
in these respective areas. a -
zoning Power Defined.
''what is zoning?" 1t is the power Of
q city or other large political division
to control. to a limited extent, the char
acter of all building developments with
in the area. It means the establish
ment by the city or State of restric-
tions on the height, area (bulk) and
use of all buildings. Zoning is justi-
fable use of the police power in the
interests of health, safety and the gen
eral welfare To enforce a proper
coming plan is to so fix growth and
tendencies of growth that stability will
replace chaos and the destructive ele-
Tnent of uncertainty in city expansion
will largely be removed. Appropriate
character and intensity of use of land
cannot fail to insure pern1anence pre-
serve life, conserve resources and IN
crease the amenities of life.
When a building intended for resi-
dental, commercial or industrial pur-
poses is to be erected, it is taken as a
matter of course that the plans be first
prepared by architects and engineers In
such way as to adapt the finished
structure to meet the requirements
which are to be subserved. But in the
application Of this simple, common
sense idea to the planning of aggre-
gates of such Structures-to the phySi-
cal arrangement of cities or towns as
o whole--the American people have
been strangely remiss. These official
commissions representing the Federal
Government, the municipality of the
District of Columbia and the States of
Maryland and Virginia are now at work
not only for the proper development of
the National Capital as the most beau
tiful city In the world, but for giving
1t an adequate setting that will con-
form and match up with the jewel city
ITSELF.
The zoning act for the District of
Columbia was approved March /. 1920,
so that it has now been in effect lit
tie more than eight years Mai. Carey
III. Brown, engineer of the National
Capital Park and Planning Commits
sion, points out that this was a most
opportune time. for, it was just in ad-
vance of the large building activities
during the years following the war; So
that while the zoning law has been in
effect only eight years, it has had a
Seeks Sterilization.
One Of the most important considera-
tions has been stabilization of the loca-
tion Of the central business district
One of the sources of greatest trouble
In the development of many cities mas
been the growth of a blighted district.
Perhaps lower Pennsylvania avenue Is
as nearly an illustration of such a
blighted district as can be found in
Washington. In many cities large
areas that at one time were high-class
business areas have been passed over.
owing to the removal of business to
some other area9 leaving these blighted
areas to become slums It is in the
rehabilitation of such blighted areas
that city planners have frequently been
called upon to do the hardest work.
The zoning law, along with other
factors, has served to prevent any
such Wholesale removal of the busi-
ness occupying the central business
area of Washington, with the result
that Washington's problem. as far as
rehabilitation of bligl1ted areas is con-
CeLuGu. lS COHSlOeTcQ very SItlaIl. IL,
however, there had been no limitation
by zoning upon areas into which bllsi-
ness could expand. it is quite probable
that there would have been a greater
removal of business toward the North
west than has occurred, and with con-
sequent loss in value on properties left
behind and. by encroachment on resi-
dental areas elsewhere.
The National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission, about year ago,
employed zoning engineer, now in
The service of the District Government,
who made a careful survey and study
of the land and its uses within the Dis
trict of Columbia, covering the entire
period since 1920. I.
Shows Summary of Used Land.
This showed the following summary
OF acres used per year and the popula-
ton provided for:
Acres
Total Per used per
houses. year. Pct year
In apartment houses 3T7s5 5,el3 26 2I
In detached houses. 42,526 6,542 3l5 205.3
n semi-Se. sa 1e. houses s5s4 sd5b al lss
Tntsls 135 oa6 On 776 1On s11 .