Evening star., 1943-10-02
Postwar Construction
Backlog Estimated al
S30,000,000,o0O

The National Association of Real
Estate Boards in the fifth section of
its 41st annual survey OF the realty
market finds there is definitely
planned construction" amounting to
several billion dollars awaiting re-
moval Of war limitations from build
ing materials.
The board said the planned con-
struction averaged $516 per person
for the combined populations of the
287 cities surveyed. IF this average
prevailed for the whole Nation it
would indicate that there is a de-
ferred backlog of construction run
ming over 100000, 100000.
Public works, some of which would
take flve years or more to complete,
are the biggest single group of
projects already well assured for
immediate postwar construction.
Sewer systems, streets and hospitals
are frequently mentioned. Airports
are on the list and private residen-
tial construction for normal civilian
use is "on its toes" waiting for the
60 signal
Homes Rank First.
Known ready-to-s start home build
Ing projects outbulk the ready-to-
start public construction in many
OF the reporting cities. Since the
Nation now has dwelling shortage
In some SO per cent of our cities-a
shortage nationally of about 1,OOO,-
600 housing unitS-private residen-
tial construction should certainly
rise to first place as postwar build
Ing actually gets under way, the
association reported.
Home building and other resi-
Dental construction already planned
In the reporting cities averages $22
per unit of population. This would
indicate a national urban home
building program ready-to-go al
ready exceeding $1,600,OOO, ,000."
Private postwar nonresidential
construction already in sight av-
erages 81 for every person in the
population of the reporting cities.
Projected this indicates a 1898 ,oOo,-
o0o national building program.
Community Job
"City planning and replanning or
community study of various kinds to
get ready for extensive rebuilding
Is already under way in SIS per cent
OF the reporting communities This
Is going forward in various ways un-
der city planning commissions. some
OF which are being reconstructed and
given new funds to do the job, or
under mayors committees, or Joint
civic or business committees, with
real estate board committees as ac-
tive participants. the survey said.
Many cities are studying their re-
lation to future air transport, in
cluding air freight transport. Great
new industrial structures sprung up
to meet war needs may have
changed the pattern of industrial
growth for many cities. For this
reason cities are making q more ac-
tive study than ever before Of the
proper relation Of industrial areas
to the general city plan and to the
future development of their entire
metropolitan area. Such study is
now going on in So per cent of the
reporting communities, the survey
asserted
Regeneration Needed
Biggest single problem of urban
rebuilding Is the rejuvenation of the
badly decaved older sections that
are the dirty collar around many a
central business district. Only BY
complete large-scale replanning and
rebuilding can their chara cter be
changed to fit them for satisfactory
modern home neighborhoods. Get
ting the land together for such
project is the kew to the problem"
Since bill now is before Congress
introduced by Senator Wagner,
Democrat. of New York. at the re-
quest Of the Urban Land Institute |
to help cities get the land assembled !
for rebuilding by private enterprise
In accordance with comprehensive |
city plan. the association asked each |
city to estimate the size Of local |
blighted areas that call for such re-
building.
Reports from 1T of the cities
with a combined population of 2s.-
613722 persons estimated total Of
10000 acres in older sections of
these cities as ripe for rehabilita-
ton This is an average of acres
of blight for every 1000 citizens In
the entire combined population of
the reporting cities the Association
said