Evening star., 1933-12-02
S[UM CLEARANCE
..PLAN IS SUBMITTED.
Architects Suggest 81 Larg-
est Cities Prepare Master
2 Proposal for U. S. Aid.
(Continued From First Page)

HAAoe = p6N'I
master plans, the execution of which
would constitute one of the largest pub
, lie works projects ever undertaken ana
. require the labor of great numbers OF
men.
president Roosevelt. in pronounce
ment that slum clearance and rehablll-
. tation would be made the next step OF
the National Recovery Administration,
: could issue a call to the Nation 10 re-
. spond to this program through SUD-
mergence of individual interests in real
estate in order that areas of property
NAV be assembled for collective owner
ship and replanning," Mr. Boyd ex-
, plains.
He could incorporate in his call sew
eral of the present NJ R. A. promotional
, features and appeal to the inherent
patriotic impulse which can be relied
upon where selfish interests have not
heretofore responded The message
. could contain a clear statement OF the
economics of the situation prepared by
the division of housing of the P. w. A
, and by the division of economic research
and the National Planning Board OF
the N. r. A"
Mr.. BOYD points out that. with the
= creation of the new Federal Emergency
Housing Corporation, the instrument
tality now exists for the reconstruc-
ton of portions Of urban communities
devoted to dwelling purposes.
Careful Study Essential.
Rehabilitation. except in isolated
thoroughly established cases, can only
be undertaken on a large scale after
careful study of existing conditions and
the preparation of plans for the in
telligent rearrangement and orderly
growth of each city" Mr.. Boyd says.
Therefore, it is highly desirable that
proper agencies be promptly set up in
our larger cities to conduct such studies
. and prepare such plans. The nuclel
of these already exist in many places
through city planning and zoning COM
. missions regional planning declarations
and the like.
In each city the agencies, to be OFF,
. cial and effective, should have in their
membership local governing authorities
as we'll as architects, engineers, city
. planners, social and welfare workers
: and all others who are required and
{: properly qualified.
But such planning work cannot be
. performed purely on a voluntary basis
. There must also be incentive for con-
, CentratiOn and speed. Although those
who are already connected with city
administrations and civic associations
: can expand their functions, means to
afford work to unemployed arch1tectS.
3. engineers craftsmen and others in
3: white collar callingS must be found.
For the twofold purpose Of bringing
: about such employment and OF quickly
: enabling rehabilitation studies to pre-
, cede much actual construction, the new
. Civil Works Administration has been
. organized at the psychological moment.
ojf 20 n1dnr
cities can be a most important feature,
. for in addition to affording employment
E, at this time to technically trained men
land women. it will also become the
. basis for subsequent widespread work
4, on a predetermined long-range plan
ming basis.
. Master Group Proposed.
The first stage of the national pro-
gram would be to call upon each Of
; the larger and older cities to set up
group to prepare a master plan for re-
habilitation. Such a group should be
thoroughly representative of the Off
Gals, professions. teChnicians social
and other workers concerned with all
phases of the subject The number of
cities might be the first 81. according
to the 1880 census. This number would
take in all American cities with popu
latiOn over one-quarter Of million as
follows.
New York, Chicago, Philadelphia,
Detroit, Los Angeles. Cleveland. ST.
Louis, Baltimore, Boston, Pittsburgh,
San Francisco, Milwaukee, Buffalo.
, Washington, Minneapolis. New Orleans
Cincinnati, Newark, Kansas City.
Seattle, Indianapolis. Rochester, Jersey
ton, Toledo, Columbus Denver, Oak
land, st. Paul. Atlanta, Dallas. Bir-
mlngham, Akron, Memphis and Proyi-
dence.
To compensate the many thousands
OF people who could Immediately be
given employment under this program
allotment from the Civic Works Ad-
ministration could promptly be made
This could be allocated on a sliding
latlon, but from the largest city to the
smallest.
This part of the program could be
organized by the National Planning
Board which could call for plans ard
descriptive propositions to be submitted
:, within say three or four months or
= longer if real property inventories would
!. be included. On the basis of those
= submissions selections could be made
: OF certain number of cities eligible
to enter the next stage or all could
Z be afforded the opportunity whose prop
y ositions were deemed to be worthy of
e further development.
. Several Factors Seen.
In the second stage of the program
the eligible cities would proceed with
detailed developments of each local
proposition. Government grants of
funds through the Federal Emergency
Housing Corporation for slum clearance
and rehabilitation would be based on
the desirability, economy and extent of
the accumulation of unencumbered land
necessary to carry forward all or
portion of the original program sub
mitted.
The awards of money could be made
In large amounts to small number of
cities or prorated to large number
so that all the cities could be furnished
with funds in accordance with the merit
OF their proposition. Even during the
preparation of the first submissions
grants could be made for slum clearance
projects within confines established to
the satisfaction of the Housing Cor
poration.
Sufficient time should be allowed on
this second portion of the program for
the setting up and operation of holding
concerns, corporations, or trustees to
secure agreements of sale or otherwise
to acquire title to all separate parcels
of property in the certain areas in
V0lved In the rehabilitation program.
I'm each of the rpSippatad looo Jiti,.