Evening star., 1961-07-09
Cities
"1 People
It's Details
Thut Count
By ROBERT J. LEWIS

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the actual work, and thus
find out what results you
can get.
Sometimes a demonStra-
ton project doesn't demon
Strate much except that you
need more demonstration
projects. With enough of
them, you eventually learn
how to avoid the worst mis-
takes and how to get posi-
tive results.
Many persons believe this
kind Of experimentation and
testing can be worth q great
deal, even though it is costly
and time-consuming.
It takes time to decide
what to demonstrate, then to
develop a plan, and finally
to carry it out.
Demo ration projects
are especially appealing as
q means of learning more
about how cities can be made
attractive and livable. So
little is known in this field
that any additional knowl-
edge is helpful.
Improving cities so they
will appeal to more people
is one Of the biggest issues
in American life today. Bill
lions of dollars are being
poured into this battle.
Nothing like it has been seen
in this country ever before.
H&*
SINCE THE WAYS to
achieve desirable results are
being sought by so many, we
nave been keeping an eye
open for ideas. The other day
we discovered a street in
Washington that has a. les
son for everybody.
Some persons may prefer
the Strand in London; the
Champs Elysees, in Paris;
the Gina, in Tokyo, or the
KurfuerStendamm, in Berlin.
AS streets, they are already
world famous.
But for sheer interest, we
would like to mention a
street in Washington that
hardly anyone has ever
heard Of. It's called Dud-
dington place, and it's
tucked away in a part of
Southeast Washington only
a block and a half away
from The Star building. You
-each 1t from First street,
betweenE and F.
This street is only one
block long, It's rather mar
row. But it's surely on the
road to lasting fame. For
this street offers one Of the
most dramatic demonstra-
tions, anywhere, of the kind
of treatment cities need to
make them more attractive.
THE KEY to understand
ing what you see on Dud-
dington place is to under
stand that good appearance
results from a careful at
tention to details.
This street is being trans
formed, house by house, into
a classic image of modest
urban beauty.
Not a single street in
Washington today provides
so clear a picture of how it
is possible, at relatively small
cost, to increase the desir-
ability of a neighborhood.
See this street, study 1t,
understand what is being
done and how it is being
done, and you will be sur
prised at how simply and
easily a transformation in
appearance can be achieved.
It's the details that count.
Attention to details can
improve homes, neighbor-
hoods, and cities.
Consider the vast COM
plexity of city problems and
they seem overwhelming.
Break them down into de-
tails and they can be man
aged.
THIS is the main lesson
taught by the kind of work
going on in Duddington
place.
This Is not an official
demonstration project" The
work is being done by pri-
vate owners, not by the Gov
ernment. But it does explain
much that urban renewal
and redevelopment agencies
would like people to know
about city improvement.
Among these things is the
Importance of how a city
looks.
If a neighborhood is pleas
ant to look at, it is said to
be attractive" That's an
other way of saying it at
tracts discriminating people
to come and live there. This
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