Evening star., 1950-11-22

feet or larger, with some low
density apartments in each neigh
borhood. The plan would expect
260,00 Of the Districts / mil
lion people to be living in this
kind Of area in 1880. on "a per
cent Of that portion Of the Dis
trict's area planned for general
residential use.
Medium denSities are proposed
for Is per cent Of the residential
area, where 275,000 people are
expected to be living with be-
tween IS and 10 persons per
gross acre. These would be areas
Of row houses and garden apart
ments, with some single and
double houses.
Higher densities are accepted
for 81 per cent of the residential
area. housing 365, 900 people, with
10 to 100 persons per gross acre.
Here the typical dwelling would be
In an apartment, with some Of the
small efficiency type, some Of the
garden type, and most In build
ings not quite as open as the So
called garden apartments, but by
no means as congested as what
most people think Of. as typical
city apartments. The maximum
density in this high density area
would not allow as crowded liv-
ing conditions, or buildings as
close together with 80 little grass
and trees, as the average prewar
Washington apartment.
The remaining 100000 people
would be housed at various
densities in business or other
nonresidential areas. This would
include apartment hotels and
other dwellings downtown, and
houses and apartments within the
fringe Of local business centers.
Suburban Area Plans.
| The land use plan, especially in
the suburban areas, Is meant to
encourage the building up Of we'll
defined urban and suburban resi-
Dental communities, well-rounded
socially. and including places for
employment and facilities for serv-
ice and civic life. The past con-
tinuous outward spread Of house
building. unbroken by any large
open spaces. should be checked
and discouraged, 50 that no home
area is too far away from the
country and each separate COM
munity Is small enough for people
to know each other and take part
in civic affairs. This will require
more detailed land use planning
than as yet undertaken.
The other main urban land use
is for the various public purposes.
Plans for schools, parks. and re-
creation areas are discussed sepa-
rately. Washington has, In addi.
ton to the building Of the Federal
1 Government, a number Of public
institutions with great land areas.
The institutions themselves may
no longer have any real reason
to remain inside the District.
A special board, created by Con-
: gress, is needed to determine
5 policies and make recommenda-
tions in collaboration with the
| Planning Commission, as to
5 whether each institution should
7 stay, move out, or reduce its hold
ings, and whether new uses should
be made of the land.
The Commission, however, rec.
ommends certain changes at once.
The National Training School for
Boys should be moved. The Dale
; carlia Reservation should be re-
served for uses related to District
water supply and its protection.
The United States Soldiers Home
grounds might well be confined to
a smaller area. permitting other
!; appropriate public uses that would
retain open-space character.
Among the uses proposed by the
Commission are thoroughfare ex-
tensions and land for recreation
and local park needs.
This generalized land use plan
suggests a basic layout for future
development that is possible. prac-
tical, and better than the city
of today.