Evening star., 1934-03-17
HIGH SLUM LAND
COSTS CRITICIZED
Housing Program Difficult
ties Attributed to Excess
Sive Valuations.

High. assessment values for what he
calls "close-in, decadent residential
property in the cities were adversely
criticized by Carey H. Brown, acting
chairman of the Technical Board of
Review, Public Works Administration,
In a recent address in New York.
There is no valid reason" he said,
''why assessors should continue to
place high tax values and consequent
high fixed charges upon such prop
erty, while the area which, in fact, is
most favored and OF greatest value
Is far out and assessed at a relatively
low fgure.
Based in part upon high fixed
charges to which the assessor is a
party and in part upon the mistaken
theory that land values can increase
indefinitely, owners expect inordinate
prices for close-in but now blighted
property. I can see no solution to
the blighted-area problem while this
condition persists.
Excessive Land Values.
This is the root of a most serious
difficulty in the development of suit
able projects in the Housing Division
of the P. w. A. Inability to combine
the development of low-cost housing
with slum clearance is due to the
absurd values placed upon the land
In these Slum areas. Such land is
generally priced at figures which put
it absolutely out of reach for the only
purpose for which it is in fact
uSable."
Mr.. Brown called attention to the
fact that one Of the greatest difficult
ties in planning, either city plan
ming" as usually thought of or public
works. projects as sponsored by the
trade recovery group, Is the apparent
reluctance Of States and munich
-palities to consider any plan which Is
projected very far into the future.
Probably we are so accustomed"
he added, ito political upsetS and
changes Of policy that long-term
planning seems futile. Furthermore,
there is a fear that the planners
objective is to foist upon an un-
suspecting community expensive and
visionary schemes of an impractical
dreamer. City planners realize the
existence of this impression and the
necessity for overcoming it by greater
frankness and enlightenment as to
exactly what they propose.
DEVELOPMENT of the physical plan
alone by no means completes the task.
Financial planning, or the develop
ment of a long-term program, is quite
as important. The activities Of the
P. w. A. disclose that in many cases,
even when a community is prepared
with physical plans for the construc-
ton Of public works, it has no salts
factory plan of financing. The finan-
cial plan of a city should include
careful development of a system of
procedure related both to the type Of
improvement proposed and to the
sources of revenue and involving
among other matters decisions as to
the proper type Of financing.
Land Planning Progress.
Land planning on national scale
has developed to far greater extent
than ever before. Disappearance of
the frontier marks the end of the
period of land exploitation and points
to the immediate necessity of COM
prehensive policies of conservation
and land planning.
LAS to the cities, the frontier has
not yet disappeared, and we are prob
ably destined to remain in the period
of exploitation for some time. The
suburbs provide frontier for residence,
and business continues to move out
ward from the center into the sur
rounding blighted residential areas.
1.-The greatest difficulty in logical
municipal development lies in this
tendency to abandon property and the
utilities installed to serve 1t, and to
move on to some residential or COM
mercial frontier, where there Is less
competition and more elbow room
and fresh air, creating demand for
further municipal expense to provide
the necessary services.
Experiences since 1929 will un-
doubtedly permanently affect the out
look and activities of the engineering
profession. Planning in the fields of
engineeding, finance, law and admin
istration must play large part in
the scheme of things. To be effective,
the doctrine of advance planning OF
public works must be firmly imbedded
in governmental organization and in
the public mind. This field of work
offers increasing opportunities for
service and accomplishment and for
credit to the engineering profession" ."