Evening star., 1942-04-05

trative official, the problem does not
present serious difficulties, but In
Washington, with the large BIZ
cameral Congress as its chief legis-
lative organ, with both a District
and Federal Government and their
numerous separate agencies engaged
in building upon and using land
within the city on an extensive
scale, the number of ex-officio men,
berships to cover the whole planning
field would be too large for an ef-
ficient agency. Administrative Of
f1cials tend to be hurried men when
out of their own Offices, whereas
planning requires something of an
atmosphere of freedom from the
lash of the immediate. They are
apt to send subordinates to the
meetings of the planning agency,
who, however able and intelligent,
are not sufficiently independent.
These considerations point to the
wisdom of not attempting to pro-
vide for ex-officio memberships in
the reorganization of the commits
sion.
Los Angeles Plan Praised.
Systematic contact between the
planning board and the governing
agencies is, however, so important
that some device for this should be
included in the program. In recent
charter amendments of Los Angeles,
a co-ordinating committee was
created, composed of the represent
atives of the legislative and admin
istrative agencies whose fields OF
operation were closely related TO
planning. Some such organization
might we'll be considered for Wash
ington, to include both Federal and
District officials and representatives
of Congress. The committee would
be the organ of contact by which
the knowledge possessed by the ad-
ministratorS and legislators would
be brought to the planning agency,
and planning approaches and attl-
tudes would be brought to the legis-
lative and administrative men.
Quite as important is the problem
of the powers of the planning
agency. There are those who ad-
vocate that planning commission
should be able to enforce its opin-
ions regarding the location of this
or that public building, street, resi-
Dental district or other districts.
But such a concept goes counter to
the traditional form of democratic
government. There are others who
go the opposite extreme and who
wish the planning agency to write
books, essays, reports, make maps
and charts and statistical tables and
lust send them around to the ap-
propriate officials for such infiu-
ence as they may have.
Powers Needed.
A planning agency can NEEDLE too
much. but it can also be too aloof.
If it is to do its part in the pro-
duction of the good life, its powers
should furnish it with ample op-
portunity to cause the comprehen-
sive planning factors in the day-by-
day legislative and administrative
determinations to be seriously con-
sidered by those who make these
determinations. This could be ac-
complished by requiring the submis-
sion to the commission of all pro-
posals for public structures and
uses and for zoning amendments.
and requiring that the opinion or
report of the commission be con-
sidered, and not departed from un-
less the official or body which finally
determines the question formally
state his or its reasons for the de-
parture.
The people of Washington may
have received the impression that
planning is simply the accumula-
tion of spot-decisions. Shall the
proposed building be permitted to
go higher than the standard or be
located where its promoters desire
and would that harm the properties
next door or across the street?
That is the type of question which
seems to be raised every day and
about which the controversies rage
But that is not city planning. That
is putting binders on the mind so
that it cannot see beyond a few