Evening star., 1939-10-28
Program Outlined
For Protecting
Business Districts
Realtors Warned of
Need for Assuring
Maximum Usefulness
Special Dispatch to The Star.

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 28-A be-
ginning program for saving the
present huge aggregation of real
estate values represented in the bus
iness districts in cities over the |
United States, and for solving pres
ent pressing problems so as to en-
able these districts to reach their |
maximum usefulness and efficiency
was sketched at the annual conven-
ton of the National Association Of |
Real Estate Boards here this week |
by Walter S. Schmidt. Cincinnati
past president of the association.
Reporting to the convention con-
clusions of special committee ap-
pointed by President E. L. Osten-
dorf, Cleveland, to survey major
present problems of commercial dis
tricts and suggest action which
should be taken to adjust city struc-
lures to changing habits of modern
living, Mr.. Schmidt, president of
one of the largest real estate Or
ganizations in the country, chair
man of a citizens committee en-
gagged in a study of the replanning
of Cincinnati, and chairman of the
board of trustees of the National
Real Estate Foundation protected
co-ordinating center for real es-
tate research), outlined the condi-
tions now facing us as the result
of the decentralization movement
of recent years in most American
cities.
period of Violent Change"
"We are passing through period
of violent change he said. land
unless we would see the most wan
ton waste of wealth this country
has ever known through destruction
of land and building values of busi-
ness property it behooves us to un-
derstand what is happening to our
commercial districts, especially in
the older cities. then to apply cor
rective and protective measures to
what now exists and finally to adopt
constructive policies for the future"
so far as the central business
centers are concerned no consistent
policy has been adopted to bring
people to them with convenience
and celebrity" Mr.. Schmidt said.
The supplying of new arteries to
the districts and bypasses around
them for through traffic, the estab-
lishment of garage and parking IA
cilities about the perimeter and
other such logical measures have
been left to chance. AS result. ex-
cept for absolutely 100 per cent 10
cations, the value loss is appalling
in many of our principal cities. City
Planning Commissions usually have |
been too busy studying zoning mat
ters. too lacking in adequate ap-
preparations to give constructive
thought to real planning" Mr..
Schmidt said. "Sub-centers have
been established repeating the er-
rors of the original central district,
nor has any more foresight been
used in the establishment of neigh
borhood business centers, which US
ually grew up in haphazard man
ner. There are in the country but
four or five examples of we'll planned
neighborhood store groupings.
Restoring Attractiveness.
"a knowledge of preventive steps
which should be taken can do much
to prevent deterioration of what
exists
quite obviously one of the first
things to do in this regard is, by
store remodelling, by face lifting. to
restore attractiveness to all that is
worth preserving.
1T is equally necessary to take
drastic steps in the matter of blight
in the residential sections surround
+ ing the various business districts.
We cannot afford to waste this Gre
ated wealth by buildings and in pub
lie facilities provided at great cost
to serve these territories. What is
gone beyond repair, of course,
should be destroyed. and sound
plans made for rebuilding the area.
A program should be inaugurated to
rejuvenate what is capable of restor-
alton and to make such residential
regions attractive and decent for
normal human habitation
Government - municipal and
Federal-should be helpful to pri-
vate enterprise to this end Gov
eminent itself cannot do the Job
without destroying our civilization.
Since commercial activities are
the heart of the city's life, the con-
venience, the attractiveness of, and
particularly the satisfactory facili-
ties offered by it's retail business
property districts are of paramount
irnrorta nce IN tho citv Mr. Schmidt
said.