Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-16
CITY DEVELOPMENT
PROBLEMS TAKEN
UP BY ARCHITECTS
Land Subdivision Discussed
at Opening Meeting by
M. C. Hazen.
NEED TO BANK STREETS
AND HIGHWAYS FORESEEN
Charles W. Eliot Makes Address
to Landscape Men on
L'Enfant Plan.

Expert comment on the subject of
developing washington as a city of
beauty and utility was forthcoming
this morning at the opening meeting
of the American Society of Landscape
Architects at the Willard Hotel.
Members of the society and guests
were welcomed to the thirty-first an
nual meeting by Charles Moore, chair
man of the National Commission OF
Fine Arts, and on behalf of the organi-
zation Arthur A. Shurtleft, president
responded.
At the morning meeting, papers were
presented by Melvin c. Hazen, surveyor
for the District of Columbia, who dis
cussed the topic Land Subdivision
Problems in the National Capital" and
Charles w. Eliot, I'd, city planner for
the National Capital Park and Planning
Commission, who discussed the topic
81 Enfant as a Landscape Architect. "
The largest problem Of today. said
Mr. HaZen, in respect to subdivision OF
land is the traffic. No one knows the
limit of speed in trafic, and he said
that streets and highways will have to
be banked to care for "the ever-increas-
ing speed"
Three FeflOuS REVIEWED.
Reviewing the three periods In the de-
velopment of Washington, the LEnfant
plan period of 1890, the period without
control to 1888 and the period with
control since 1888, Mr.. HaZen discussed
the creation of various subdivisions,
Mount Pleasant, washington Heights
and the like, which, he said, were Gre
ated without regard to the city plan or
the adjoining properties"
The latter period has brought re-
turn to the outline OF the LEnfant
plan, he said. Pointing out that the
law provides that no street shall be
feet wide, he said:
Personally, do not believe that this
plan should be disturbed without very
careful consideration and very COM
pelling reasons" Some changes should
be made, he said. but pointed out that
In the matter of subdivisions "the SUBJ
divider must divide his land to meet
the demand. While we may personally
oppose the apartment and the conges-
ton of our population, do not believe
the subdivision of land win correct this
trend Of concentration into congested
areas and apartments"
Assessments Favored.
Abiding 10 the three methods by
which the District carries out its street
STANDARDIZATION of land and dedica-
ton of the streets, dedication by the
PROPRIETOR through unsubdivided prop
erty and by demnation-HaZen ex-
pressed the opinion the opening of a
street is q local benefit, and that as
sessments should be made. He said the
District Commissioners have about As
condemnation proceedings pending In
the court.
without an adequate control of the
division of land now subdivisions are
frequently planned in the outlying dis
tricts which do not look far enough In
improvements finally reach that point" "
he said.
Education Of our citizens associa-
tons and civic bodies to the import
ance Of an adequate and comprehensive
city plan, and the willing cooperation
of the citizens, are important agencies
in assisting the municipality in carry
ing out an advisable plan"
Mr. Eliot described in illuminating
manner how L'Enfant went at the job
President Washington gave him. He
explained that his presentation was
the exposition of theory evolved by
William T. Partridge, architectural
consultant to the Planning Commits
sion, which has been derived" Mr..
Eliot said, from study of L'Enfant's
reports and letters and of the plan
itself.
Has Claim to New Method.
"If Mr.. Partridge is correct in his
analysis" said Eliot, land ! believe
him to be, L'Enfant could justly claim
to have originated new method of
procedure in city planning. Over 100
years ago L'Enfant demonstrated the
wisdom and importance of those prin-
ciples of design which have since be-
come known as the art of landscape
architecture"
The Potomac River was the subject
of treatment in discussion at luncheon
which the members attended at the
Willard, and illustrated slides were
shown, Representative Louis G. Cram
ton of Maryland; L. w. Wallace, secre-
tary of the American Engineering Coun-
ell, and Lieut.. Col. U. S. Grant, Sd, di-
rector Of the Once of Public Buildings
and Public Parks, spoke at the lunch
con-
This afternoon the members and
their guests were cautioned to wear old
clothes for a trip to Great Falls and
q walk along Potomac Gorge and Po-
towmack Canal.
The members Of the National Park
and Planning Commission and the Ma
tional Commission of Fine Arts will be
guests of the society at the annual
dinner this evening in the Willard
Hotel. The affair will be informal
The society win be in session through
Saturday afternoon.