Evening star., 1946-06-16
Chicago Planning Ne1v-7ype City
Metropolis Units
Within Present Borders Each With Small Town Flavor
liam Conway


villages of the Middle Ages, mans
trend has been to the urban centers of
commerce and industry.
The process, hastened by the indus
trial revolution which began 100 years
ago and climaxed by the advent of the
auto in the machine age, spawned the
vast, sprawling metropolis of multi
million population. AS cities grew and
populations spread, residential sections
! pushed ever further outward leaving
| in their wake overcrowded slums,
blighted areas, expensive business real
estate high taxes skyscrapers, inef-
ficient confusion and utter dependence
on transportation.
City planners in America pondering
their huge, unwieldy cities, slowly dis
integrating at their centers, and in
Britain, where the rebuilding of war
bombed metropolitan areas as a primary
problem, have come up with a blue
print for modern living similar in out
line, If not in detail
Great Britains longe-range rehous-
ing and rebuilding program is centered
on rings of satellite cities" each
brand new model town, around its
great cities
Chicago's Plan Commission envisions
huge cluster of balanced small
towns, or cities -within-a-city. in an
ambitious program for internal expan-
sion within the next two decades.
That's one of the basic features of
new blueprint for the future drafted
by the Chicago Plan Commission.
Total of 50 Communities.
1t also accents the idea there is plenty
of room for expansion and improve
ment within the city's boundaries.
The plan looks to these developments:
There would be SO communities with
in the citys 2l4 square miles. Each
virtually would be a balanced
small city" embracing $4,000 to 10000
residents, high school, complement
of grade schools and play grounds.
large park, an athletic field major
shopping center and adequate off
street parking areas. None of these
cities -within-a city would be independ-
ent, but each would be self sufficient to
a large degree.
There would be 1876 miles of express
ways to keep vehicles moving at go miles
an hour to the north. northwest, west,
southwest. south and southeast. These
main arteries would provide four traffic
lanes in each direction, and would be
built below the ground level in most
instances. They would connect with
the principal highways, and link the
citys central business district to the
municipal airport on the far southwest
side and new airport being developed
on the northwestern outskirts.
Segregation for Factories.
All heavy factory operations would be
concentrated in industrial districts,
separated from residential sections by
buffers of Handicapped strips of ground.
Buildings to house public agencies.
now scattered widely, would be grouped
in government center" on the west
ern fringe of the loop. Branch Offices
for such services as issuing licenses and
collecting taxes would be located in all
communities.
The program was designed for a
population of 100000 by 1865 That
would be an increase of 100000 but all
could be accommodated The city, sur
rounded by Lake Michigan and inde-
pendent suburbs, can't spread out-but
it can fill in. Approximately 81 per cent
of it's land is vacant.
The commission recently produced
huge detailed map as base for orderly
growth and redevelopment." 1t was en-
titled Chicago's preliminary compre-
hensive city PLAN" preliminary" be-
cause some details are subject to
change in the light of continuing stud
les The authors opined most of the
objectives ARE attainable in the next
20 years."
The commission, purely advisory but
composed of influential civic leaders and
public officials, worked on the outline
for six years. The job of carrying it out
then shifted to the municipal govern
ment, property owners, industrialists,
businessmen. trade and neighborhood
associations and service clubs Outside
of the public works, it is task for pri-
vate enterprise.
Plans Partly Underway.
Mayor Edward j. Kelly, political boss
of the city, put it up to citizens in gen.
eral this way:
Chicago is either going to forge
ahead, or become victim of slow dis
integration. The choice is up to the
citizens
The city council already has approved
some OF the expressways. Plans for 20
parks and several private housing prof.
ects are following the master guide
lines
Chicago's pattern for progress was
evolved independently while most ma jor
cities were working at the drafting
boards. In some phases the Chicago
plan is similar to other programs; in
some aspects it is different.
One common element is the concept
OF a city comprised of self contained
neighborhoods and communities This
follows natural lines. People with like
interests and like needs have a tendency
to get together anyway, and the small
town system centered on high school
gives them greater sense of belonging
to the community.
"Northsiders don't care what happens
on the South Side," says H. Evert Kin
caid, executive director of the Chicago
Plan Commission. "The community is
a more intimate area. People have the
same educational and shopping facili-