Evening star., 1941-05-18
The Planning Problem

Frederic A. Delano, having been a
tireless and effective worker for
greater and more beautiful National
Capital, can look back with consid-
cradle satisfaction on what has been
accomplished during his long years
of service. And it is with equal salts
faction that the Washington COM
munity learns of Mr.. Delano's under
standing with the President that he
is to remain as chairman of the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission, at least until compile
ton of the studies which the PreSi-
dent has asked the Budget Bureau
to make concerning the possibilities
of reorganizing the Capitals plan
ming agencies.
It seems obvious that such reor-
ganization ought to accompany the
beginning of program which would
naturally follow the pioneering work
in city planning which National
Capital builders may credit to Mr..
Delanos leadership. Ably assisted by
others, Mr.. Delano was largely re-
sponsible for the formation in the
early twenties of an agency charged
with the systematic acquisition of
land for parks and for Federal build
ings. From the work of this agency
there resulted the creation in 1924
of the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission, which two
years later was enlarged to include
general city planning. In its early
days the commission was handi-
capped by the slow processes involved
in first obtaining from Congress the
authorization to acquire land, and
after that the appropriation neces-
sary to make the purchase.
Mr.. Delano, assisted by public
spirited citizens in and out OF the
Federal establishment, was able to
enlist the always helpful interest of
Senator Capper of Kansas and Rep
resentative Cramton of Michigan in
legislation which later became known
as the Capper- -Cramton Act-an act
which has constituted the enabling
legislation for park purchases so that
the commission could make plans
and carry them out after the neces-
sary appropriations became avail
able.
Under the Capper-Cramton Act,
the Park and Planning Commission
has accomplished great deal. But
1t is evident that more adequate city
planning could best be carried out
through an agency clothed with more
authority than the present National
Park and Planning Commission, en-
abling it to enlarge its field of plan
ming to include not merely parks and
buildings, but many other functions
of a rapidly expanding municipal
organization. There should be some
central agency in Washington,
representing both the Federal and
municipal governments, and plan
ming not merely for expansion of
park and Federal building sites, but
also co-ordinating the highway pro-
grams, health programs, housing
programs, school building programs
and all of the other programs which
now are made by separate agencies
overlapping in responsibility and
functioning without much regard to
what the other is doing.
From the Budget Bureau study Of
the whole planning picture in Wash
ington there should result the estab-
lishment of a real city planning
agency, effectively co-ordinating all
phases Of city planning and possessed
of the authority to prevent injurious
departures from such plans. 1t is to
be hoped that Mr.. Delano will remain
to see such an organization function
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