Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-14
TALL BUILDINGS
NEARING LIMITS
Future Metropolis Considered
for Light, Air, Cleanliness
and Quiet.

The city OF the future Will not De
lined with towering skyscrapers; double
and triple decked streets will be found
not to be the answer to the traf1c prob
lem, nor will airplanes use roofs of
buildings as landing fields, but the fu-
ture metropolis will be qGieter, cleaner
and much more beautiful.
Thus, Herbert u. Nelson, executive
secretary of the National Association Of
Real Estate Boards, emissions the cities
of this country of the next century.
1.-THE city of the future will not be
lined with 75-story buildings as some
people picture it." says Mr.. Nelson.
zone or two buildings of this height in
o city are all right, because they do
not interfere with all the other build
ings. but If you pack blocks with rs
and 100 story buildings, erect them side
by side, as some say will be done, no.
body would get any air or light. The
higher you go, and the more you build
I'D a block with such high structures,
the less air and light will be available.
After all there is the human element
that will be considered. For all the
stunning pictures of viStas of 10O-Story
buildings, do not believe that tenants
of the next century will put up with
dark and airless quarters, no matter
how highly Illuminating and ventilating
systems are developed.
Crowding Has Limits.
''You cannot go on indefinitely crowd
ing people into a certain area OF land.
Intensity of use cannot be extended be-
yond q certain point. The farmer knows
this. And already there Is q tendency
away from any increased intensive use
of the land in cities
THE Merchandise Mart in Chicago,
planned by its designers for use for
many years to come. is only "a stories
high. The General Motors Building in
Detroit rises only is stories They
don't seem very high when one thinks
of HISTORY structures. But both, built
with an eye to the future, are block
square.
"Cities of the future win handle
their enormous vehicular trat1c on
super highways rather than by double
or triple decked streets, These through
highways will be built along the out
skirts of cities to handle the thousands
and thousands Of motorists that even
today just pass through our towns,
Jam the traffic and drive on.
1.-THE double or triple decked street
e not practical for the same reason
that numbers OF 100-story buildings
are not practical. There is limit to
the number of people who can be prac-
tically handled in a given area of land,
and I cannot believe, and have never
believed, that you can put swarms OF
l1eopie or vehicles on a first, second
and third level and get them in and out
OF such a section efficiently.
"A few strategically located double.
deckers-yes, but blocks and blocks OF
them-no. No matter how clever the
illumination on the lower decks, shop
keepers and others will not permanent
" want this space at good rentals.
"Grade separations, and longer, much
longer, blocks will also help the trafhc
problems 10 years from now. The long
blocks will cut down on street cross
ings, and will make life easier for the
pedestrian, as well as decrease the
trafic tangles that inevitably result
where there are many corners.
1T believe that residential districts
will be laid out in areas a quarter OF
mile square. These areas win be sur
rounded by traffic arteries instead OF
being cut by such arteries as at present.
There will be 'dead-end' streets within
these areas leading to the homes and
various buildings for pedestrian traffic,
or for the delivery Of goods to these
homes, or for the vehicles of the resi-
dents Such a plan will decrease the
trafic that now rt;shes by every door,
and will make the life Of home-owner
quieter and easier.
Streets will be wider in the down.
town areas, but such widening in my
opinion, will not be accomplished
through the present method OF tearing
down existing buildings. This is too
costly. Future widening VIII be brought
about by extending arcades under COM
mercial and other buildings so that
pedestrians viii walk on new sidewalks
created in this way. OF course, this VIII
mean taking some space away from the
first floor front of such buildings. but
inasmuch as this will serve the shop
ping or business public, the downtown
buildings will come to 1t, and will be
glad to do 1t.
Even though such measures will be
undertaken, do not believe that
vehicle traffic will be as much of a
problem in the year 1000 as some people
think. In proportion, fewer people will
drive TO the business centers in their
private automobiles. The rapid transit
facilities, with further economies in the
cost of electricity, will be greatly ex-
tended. And such extension and i'm
provement will be in the elevated sys-
TENS rather than In the subways.
Subway's Bad Features.
"No matter how successful they are,
or how efficiently they handle the city
travelling masses, subways are uncom-
Portable. filled with bad air, dark, and
unpleasant. And people don't like them.
At present they put up with them, but
the further development of the IL"
lines will make the public turn TO this
mode of transportation. These LIS"
will go underground in the very con-
gested centers, but most of their length
will be above ground in the air and
light where travel is much more desir-
able. I believe such lines will be i'm
proved so they are noiseless and even
improved in pattern and design so they
will not be Objectionable to the property
owners on streets over which they run.
Those automobiles that do come
down TO the business centers will not
be parked in the streets in the city of
the future Commercial buildings and
even stores viii provide for parking
space within the buildings. The new
est types Of con- nercial buildings in
San Francisco, Cincinnati and other
places already show this trend in struc-
lures equipped with such garages.
"Recreational areas adjacent TO, and
within. the future cities will continue
10 increase in size because we are SO
thar0ii1hlV sold on the Importance OF