Evening star., 1950-05-13
Truman Asks
5O-Year Plan
For Washington
National Planning
Conference Told of
Duty to Future

A national planning conferenc
went forward today. impresse
with President Truman's admoni
tion to map adequate program
for the next half century.
"Ours is the duty to look for
ward % years to insure the ade
quacy and beauty of Metropolita
washington in the year 1000,
said a message from Mr.. Truman
81 The delegates took a field tril
today to see Me problem at frs
hand. The fl,e-day National Citi
Zens' Conference on Planning fo
City, State and Nation opened
yesterday at the Hotel Statler. I
is under the auspices of the Amer
lean Planning and Civic Associa
tion and the American Institute
of Planners.
An all-day tour of the Wash.
tngton region, under the sponsor.
ship of planning, housing ane
park officials, was on today's pro.
gram. This included luncheon al
National Airport, a reception al
Calvert Mansion, Prince Georges
County headquarters of the Mary
land-National Capitol Park ano
Planning Commission, and dinner
at the University of Maryland.
To See City at Night.
A visit to the Washington
Monument to see the city by night
and a look at the lighted cas-
cades in Meridian Hill Park will
round out today's activities.
President Truman sent this mes
sage to Maj. Gen. U. S. Grant, Sd
association president:
I'm this Sesquicentennial year
Of the establishment of the Ma
tional Capital in the District OF
Columbia, it is particularly fitting
that all of us interested In the
orderly development of Washing
ton give careful thought to a pro-
gram to safeguard the future
Our Capital City came into being
under plans of the far-seeing
L'Enfant.
"The Mcmillan plan at the turn
Of the century provided neces-
sary safeguards for another gen.
Grafton. Ours is the duty to look
forward so years to insure the
adequacy and beauty of Metropol-
itan Washington in the year
1000.
I'm sending hearty greetings to
the conference arranged by the
American Planning and Civic AS
. sociation and it's cooperating
bodies, may I express the hope
that it's deliberations may be
guided by wisdom. foresight and a
true appreciation of the needs OF
the future"
Regional Plan Urged.
Yesterday afternoons session at
the Hotel Statler focused atten-
tion on Washington region plan
ming problems.
A vital, unified program for de-
veloping Metropolitan Washington
as an urban unit was advocated
by John Nolen. jr., director of
planning of the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission
He urged drive for this five
point program:
A reorganization of his commits
sion. as contemplated by pending
legislation with enlarged mem
bership;. planned dispersal of en-
ployment centers to fit into a new
scheme of regional growth;
agreement by planning groups on
size, density and geographical ar
rangement of the urban patterns
which future governmental en-
ployment will induce and sup
port: kinds and extent of joint
planning controls that will be
needed to achieve this program in
an orderly and progressive manner
and a co-ordinated financial pro-
gram to carry out key parts of
the plan, envisioning regional ex-
pressways, airports, water supply,
sewage disposal and buying per-
manent "open areas"
Sees Million Population.
Mr.. Nolen told the audience:
"The most pressing issue in the
planning Of Washington at the
present moment is the securing
of more adequate legislation for
the work of the agency of the
Federal Government responsible
for the planning of it's expanding
National Capital" Plans are be-
ing made. he said, for regional
population of about 2 million by
1880. He said his commission
plans to issue the first part of it's
comprehensive plan by July l for
development of the Washington
arear.
Creation of a Metropolitan
Works Agency was stressed by
Fred w. Tuemmler, director of
planning, Prince Georges County
Regional Office, Maryland Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission. He said such an
agency should have power to
finance with Federal aid and con-
struct through the appropriate
Federal, District of Columbia or
State agencies those projects of a
regional nature beyond the scope
or ability of local. government or
OF any one agency to undertake. "
Robert Woods Bliss, chairman
of the Joint Committee on the
National Capital, presided at yes
terday's luncheon that preceded
the Washington regional planning
discussion.
Ralph T. Walker, president,
American Institute of Architects,
urged no more concentration of
Federal buildings, such as in the
Triangle, advocated elimination of
temporary buildings encroaching
on park property, slum abolition
controls over the growth of the
suburbs and better planning.
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