Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-01-27

are over Is million urban resi-
dents in a 500-mile band along
the coast. connected by fast rail-
ways. truck highways and water
transport. A nights ride on a
train or two or three hours dis
tant by plane are the great cities
OF the Middle West, Pittsburgh,
Cleveland. Buffalo. Detroit. Chi
cago st. Louis and others, with
another IS million urban resi-
dents. The Miami area and its
foui tropical seacoaSt counties,
with one million permanent resi-
dents and 100000 winter visitors.
are but three hours away by
plane The Pacific Coast cities,
with 10 million urban jewellers,
are linked to the Atlantic Coast
by cheap water transportation
and by fast seven-hour air serv-
ice on DC-7s. The cities of the
South and Southeast and the
Southwest are also closer to
Washington than to any other
large city Of the Northeast.
The Washington area is most
adapted to research laboratories
because of the close relation of
research for defense and arma-
ments for the Federal Govern
ment with inventions of new de-
vices for civilian use. because of
the availability of high technical
skill in Washington and because
of the existing research labora-
tories, libraries and universities
in the area. Melpar is an eX-
ample of this movement, just be-
ginning.
Washington will attract more
national headquarters for trade
associations such as the National
Association of Home Builders
and headquarters or regional
Offices, Of insurance companies,
management companies and in
dustrial corporations. These basic
factors will abundantly sustain
the growth we have predicted for
the Washington Metropolitan
Area.
1t is not mere growth but quail
ity of growth that we are all ia
tereSted in. Where will this
growth take place and what
types of land use will absorb the
vacant areas?
The Washington area has
plenty of room in which to ex-
pand. 1t is not limited on one
side by lake as Chicago, Cleve-
land, Buffalo or Detroit, or by a
deep river as New Orleans. Mem
phis. or st. Louis, or by the
ocean bays and rivers as New
York City. Philadelphia or San
Francisco. Washington can and
has expanded in all directions.
1t has more land suitable for
new urban growth within an
hours auto ride from the center
of the Metropolitan Area than
almost any area of it's size.
There are still 1889 acres of
vacant land in the District of
Columbia. compared with 1894
acres occupied by residences
now. The large reservoirs of land
for new growth are in Fairfax,
Montgomery and Prince Georges
Counties. In Fairfax County. of
a total of $4,000 acres. 1880
acres are used for residences.
%, $50 acres are used for Govern
ment and industrial uses. There
are $4,000 acres in farms or
vacant in Fairfax County.
In Montgomery County there
are 291.0 900 acres available for
urban development compared
with $1,000 acres now developed.
In Prince Georges County there
are 263,000 acres of rural land
compared with 47.O00 acres of
urban developed land. In the
three counties combined, there
are 10000 acres of land, or
l.200 square miles available for
urban development.
This is of course far more than
will ever be needed by any con-
ceivable population growth. At
a density of / family per acre,
or $40 families-2.300 persons
per square mile. this would pro-
vide for an additional popula-
ton of 2,760,00O. OF course the
buildable land will be limited to
that which is closest to places of
employment, which has water
and sewer available. or which
has soil adapted to the use Of
septic tanks. The more remote
parts of Montgomery and Prince
Georges Counties will always re-
main rural.
Restricting the available land
to the Metropolitan area only,
there are 1880 acres of land
available in Montgomery County.
81 ,480 acres in Prince Georges
lM