Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-01-31
Landscape Architects
To Inspect Capitals
Developments
Society Tonight Joins
Federal City Committee
In Dinner to Planners

An executive business session, at
which it was forecast several i'm
portant resolutions might be passed,
was to occupy members of the Amer
lean Society of Landscape Architects
today in the last session of their
three-day annual conference at the
Mayflower Hotel.
Following luncheon they were to
make a field trip Of the central Fed
eral area, museum exhibits, public
parks. recreation centers. public and
private housing projects, the new
National Airport at Gravelly Point
and other points of interest.
Tonight they will cooperate with
the Committee of 100 on the Fed
eral City of the American Planning
and Civic Association in giving a
dinner in honor of the National
Capital Park and Planning Commits
sion at the Willard Hotel.
Park Designing Emphasized.
They heard yesterday that it is
the y.uty Of landscape architects to
provide better designs for parks, par
ticularly county and State parks of
the Rock Creek variety, so as to in
sure lower maintenance and opera
ton costs and more and wider use
Of parks by the public. This was
suggested at round-table discussion
by three men. two Of them at present
members of the National Park Serv-
ice, and the third a former member
of the National Park Service.
Parks are the last thing to get
increased appropriations and the
first to take cuts in appropriations
when an economy drive is on" Con-
rad L. Wirth, society member and
director of land use, recreation and
State cooperation for the Park
Service, told them.
Therefore, he added, parks must
be designed so that the most mex
pensive and yet attractive and USE
full types result, he said.
I'm Washington, our National
Capital, we have spent great sums
in Identification of our parks and we
are criticized for not taking care of
recreation for those who need It,"
he said.
1--WE are not meeting the problem
Of increasing leisure time as we
should. We are just getting started.
The responsibility lies with us land
scape architects"
Mr.. Wirth, Melvin B. Borgeson, a
former member of the Park Service,
and S. s. Kennedy of the Park Serv-
ice outlined for their audience some
of the problems which must be
looked into If the leisure time of the
public Is to be provided for.
Urges Voice by Local Population.
Earl Draper of the Tennessee
Valley Authority pointed out that
the character of the public to be
served must be carefully looked into
and that local populations must be
given some say in the development
and control of parks.
Henry v. Hubbard, member of the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission, who summarized the
discussion, told the landscape archi-
tects to beware Of too much special
ization in their fields, a procedure
advocated during the discussion by
several members of the society.
See that you remain lords Of high
decision rather than mere posy
planters and fit park development
into a huge national and local
pattern" he said. .
Yesterday the society empowered
its Board Of Trustees to draw up q
list Of the society;s membership for
governmental agencies as . means
Of supplying Z roster Of accredited
landscape architects.