Evening star., 1942-09-06

over a horses head, when it fell
at his country estate, at Newburgh,
N. Y. He recovered rapidly, how
ever and rode for sometime after
ward. He has given up both his
favorite game, golf, and horseback
riding, now, but devotes himself
to what associates say he calls
brain exercise" He rides street
cars, buses and taxis about the city,
the better to study city affairs. He
will be 10 Thursday.
He recently travelled 10000 miles
by boat. train and airplane. in about
19 days on a special survey of
Alaska and proposed routes of roads
TO that territory.
Still interested in city develop
ment. as he has been in the past.
Mr.. Delano. out of the richness of
his experience, and his studies of
many cities here and abroad, has
some definitely advanced ideas about
possibilities of city development of
the future.
Board Prepared Pamphlet
Pointing to a pamphlet issued
recently by the National Resources
Planning Board, Mr.. Delano said
this consideration of Better Cities
Building America" was a definite
contribution to the problem.
But he supplemented the "ob-
jectives" outlined in the pamphlet
prepared by Charles S. Ascher, un-
der direction of the board, with
some pointed ideas of his own about
the cities of the future.
II am neither a crepe hanger, nor
a prophet" philosophical the ge-
NAL adviser, "but believe the whole
theory of city planning should be
more thoroughly looked into. The
idea Of very high values of prop
erty in one part of the city, spec
ulative values in another and awful
slums In another part of a city Is
simply not intelligent.
The ownership of land Is nc
longer looked on as the asset. II
used to be considered in former days
Today it is more of a liability. II
used to be that ownership of lane
and home was considered one oi
the most worthwhile things in life
Increment in value was supposed te
make up for depreciation In the
home itself. But by and large, this
is not true any longer.
Take the modern apartment
house, for instance, as an example
of modern living. 1t is a pretty
good place to live, If it is we'll man.
aged by the right people. No de-
terioration Is allowed. Plenty OF
apartments here have held theil
values for years. OF how many pri-
vate homes can you say that? Most
homes deteriorate or something
happens in neighborhood to cause
depreciation of values beyond the
ability of the single home owner to
control. Zoning regulations are
helping that, but still the problem
of deterioration faces the property
owner"
Proposes City Ownership.
Asked for his solution of that
problem, Mr.. Delano proposed an
advanced idea which he thinks
worth giving serious consideration.
1t Is ownership of whole squares of
property by city, with an efficient
manager for each square to see that
the entire area is we'll managed and
is prevented.
THE old principle that any man
can use his property as he merry
well pleases has not worked out so
well in practice" said Mr.. Delano.
1--WE talk lot about liberty of ac-
ton, but you can only have real
liberty If you don't hurt somebody
else"
Mr.. Delano does not favor the
Baltimore plan of ground leases for
SO years. II don't think much of
that 99-year-lease plan," he said.
"It has neither the advantages of
real ownership nor centralized su-
pervision."
Thumbing through the better
cities" pamphlet, Mr.. Delano re-
ferred to one Of the detectives which
said plan for city rebuilding by the
square mile. not by the square block.
Create neighborhoods for living, for
young and old, for the free mingling
of all groups in a democratic So
ciety."
Seek the widest and soundest
economic base, for the city," said an
other objective, so that the city
dweller is afforded the maximum op-
portunity for full employment and
the highest possible real income.
Deal with the whole urban COM
munity," said another, "be not limit
ed by artificial, municipal boundary
lines, either in rebuilding or in meet
ing the costs of metropolitan serv-
ices.
Make the resources Of the city
and countryside more freely availa-
BILE to urban and rural dwellers alike.
urban land now loaded with out
worn structures and with unrealiza-
BILE claims-of past debts and taxes
and hoped-for profits-must be
made free again, SO that 1t can be
fitted into the pattern of the future.
Taxation as Incentive.
Bring to bear more powerfully the
sovereign powers of government;
make public land acquisition more
effective, use taxation as an incen-
tive to city rebuilding, devise more
creative controls OF land through
police power.
Bring together at the earliest
possible moment In each community
available facts and sound judg-
nnents to outline the directions and
forms Of community development.
Organize the thought and the pro-