Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-06-23
Architects Plan
Would Ban Iona
Trips TO Work

Rehabilitation OF cities 10 make
them better places, 10 live in,
where the inhabitants can be near
10 their work and still live in COM
fort. was visualized today as the
postwar ideal OF the architects of
America.
Five hundred members OF the
profession gathered at the Statler
Hotel in the seventy-fourth meet
ing of the American Institute of
Architects.
The meeting will last three days
and will bring some Of the out
standing members of the craft
here. The last convention of the
A. |. A. held in Detroit was in 1896.
Postwar planning will be one of
the principal topics of discussion
at the meeting. Preliminary views
on the subject were voiced by
early arrivals at the convention.
TO LIVE HAPPILY
''The city. after the war,
should be planned as place
where a person can live happily"
stated Mathew w. Delgaudio Of
New York City. There should
he no necessity for any one NOV
ing to the suburbs. We should
be able 10 live close enough to
our work to leave at n reason
able time In the morning and
get hack home without expend-
ing too much effort.
planning has been haphazard
In the past" he continued.
There Is no reason why Michi-
gan avenue, Grand River avenue
and other downtown sections
should not be made rs attrsc-
tive as your outlying sections.
There In no reason to abandon
these convenient locations be-
cause the buildings are old or
outmoded.
Architects I'm the past have
not given this problem the
thought that they should have.
Now our profession must unite
I'm planning a city that will meet
the needs of every one. We are
not dreamers, We are practical
men who know what people
should have. If we take a hand
In building the world of the
future, we can accomplish much
To re-estabIish cities rs good
place to live In"
SEES NEW MATERIALS
Delgaudio saw the war effort
giving the nation many new mate
rails to work with after the war.
I'VE are learning now to do
without the materials which we
once were accustomed to using
and which we cannot get now"
he said.
I'VE are beginning to depend
on manufactured, rather than
natural products, and we will see
an increased pse OF the manu-
featured articles after the war.
This will solve In part the prob
lem Of what to do with the vast
munitions factories which will
be left idle after the war. They
will make the things that we
need to rebuild our cities"
Prof. Charles st. John Chubb OF
Ohio State University agreed with
Delgaudio that the problem lying
ahead for the architects was the
rehabilitation of cities. He pointed
out that the migration from the
cities to the outer fringe was plac-
ing big burden on the taxpayers
in maintaining essential services
and at the same time resulting in
blighted areas.
GRAVE PROBLEM CITED
eve are confronted with a
grave problem in the manage
ment of Cities" said Professor
Chubb. 1.-THE migration to the
outer edges has increased the
per capita cost. It has left
highly desirable neighborhoods
depreciating and has been re-
sponsible for the rapid decline of
city values.
"After the war. we Will see
reversal OF the migration from
the cities. We are seeing II to-
day because Of the transporta-
ton problem. IL will be even
greater after the war"
Professor Chubb predicted that
new construction will absorb much
Of the postwarunemployment.
Architects will put their feet
back under the drafting tables
and the whole nation will 20 to
work." he said.