Evening star., 1938-10-15
MEMPHIS TESTING
BLIGHT REMEDY
Plans to Rehabi|itate Areas
Through Neighborhood
Lines and Rezoning.

A pioneering plan through which
the city of Memphis proposes to attack
the problem of urban blight over the
next 10 or 20 years by encouraging
simultaneous effort of property owners
In older sections to improve the char
acter of their neighborhoods was de-
scribed at the Southeast Regional
Conference of the National Associ-
alton of Real Estate Boards, which
has just been meeting in Memphis, by
Ralph Picard, the city's Commissioner
of Public Service.
The Memphis program, expected to
be an enormous influence toward long
term stabilization of real estate values
throughout the city, includes:
Restudy of the existing city plan
In the light of economic, chronological
and social change
Entails Rezoning.
Rezoning of the city to adjust to
these changes.
Adoption of the neighborhood as
the unit of future city planning, and
drafting of neighborhood plan under
which public aids may be made avail
able for cooperative action of prop
erty owners for neighborhood pro-
lection and Improvement.
In connection with two-year re-
study of its city plan recently under
taken at the instance of Mayor Wat
kins Overton, and following projected
rezoning of the city to prepare the
way for new building, Memphis pro-
poses to give its 'ailing' older areas
a blood TRANSMISSION" Commissioner
Picard said. by public-private CO.
operative action for neighborhood
betterment.
Real estate leaders over the country
and civic and business groups con-
cerned with sound city building are
much interested in progress OF the
Memphis plan, which follows a sug-
gestion made by the National ASsoci-
alton of Real Estate Boards and
under active study in number Of
cities.
Would Check Suburban Trend.
"The major objective of our present
program is to rehabilitate our blighted
areas, protect our good areas, and
thereby halt the excessive flow OF
population into remote suburbs" the
commissioner said America is out
growing it's cities because there has
been no strong, organized program to
eradicate blight and keep the older
residential districts permanently de-
sirable.
There seem to be two chief rem
edies for blighted residential districts;
more adequate zoning and greater
interest on the part of the property
owners. The need of coming as the
first line of defense is obvious. Next
we have the question of keeping neigh
borhoods thus protected in use. Decay
of older areas is due not so much to
a suburban mania, desire to keep up
with the Joneses, as to genuine desire
for better home environments. This
is where our next remedy comes in.
Memphis intends to make the
neighborhood the unit of its future
city planning and to organize neigh
borhood groups Of property owners to
protect and further the interests of
their areas This will supply a medium
of joint action and develop feeling of
unity and stability among the people
affected.
Would Go Before Owners.
"A neighborhood plan is to be
drafted by the city's planning experts
and If approved by the majority Of
owners in the district, will be carried
out by degrees by the city and the
owners The city will, of course, make
public improvements, such as street
paving, parks and similar facilities,
while the property owners improve
their private holdings to the best of
their ability.
This is a typically American solu-
ton to this pressing urban problem
and possesses many values of a social
as well as physical nature. In
cities we grow away from the small
towns neighborliness, the active par
ticipation of its people in public
affairs, and the keener interest felt
there in anything affecting the COM
mon welfare.
"Neighborhood planning restores
such local control and participations,
recognizing the fact that city is
always a collection of neighborhoods
and groups. Usually the grouping is
random, unorganized, and consequent
ly unproductive Organized into
neighborhood improvement associa-
tions. however, such groups will be
purposeful and will aid city officials
in giving greater value for the tax
dollar.