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Real estate record and builders' guide: [v. 99, no. 2553: Articles]: February 17, 1917

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REAL ESTATE AND (Copyright. 1017. by The Record and Guide Co.) NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 17, 1917 WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED IN CITY PLANNING Adfdress Delivered at the Annual Convention of the National Municipal League by George B. Ford ' I 'HE year 1916 was one of tremendous *■ significance to the cause of city planning. Of the fifty-odd cities having more than one hundred thousand popula¬ tion in the United States, twenty-two have made a distinct and notable con¬ tribution in the past year to the rapidly increasing volume of city planning his¬ tory and achievement. Of the cities of from 25.000 to 100.000 population, which number about two hundred, twenty-nine may be counted on the roll of those that have made important and constructive advances in city planning during the same period. A large number of cities and towns of lesser size have to their credit accomplishments which, in the mass, are not of the least importance. In Canada, despite the preoccupation of the people of the cities with the war, Thomas Adams, Town Planning Adviser of the Committee of Conservation, reports a widespread interest and activity there, both in the formulation and passage of laws and in organization for construc¬ tive work. In Europe, and particularly in France and England, which countries I have had the good fortune to visit in the course of the past three months, city planning- is not only alive—it is making enormous strides, as evidenced in the work which I saw under way in Paris, Marseilles, Lyons, Limoges, Rheims, and in Loncfon, not to mention numerous lesser places. In India, even, where one would be led to expect but little, British enthusiasm for city planning has roused the great and congested cities, such as Madras, Bom¬ bay and Calcutta to a realization of their city planning needs, and we are regularly in receipt of reports of progress being made there—progress which indeed would put many of our proud American cities to shame. Thn city planning move¬ ment has never enjoyed a more hopeful, indeed, more constructive, year than that just past. It is peculiarly significant—and preg¬ nant with a lesson of the utmost impor¬ tance—that in the United States nearly forty-five per cent, of the cities of over 100,000 have taken great forward steps in town planning in the past year—as against fifteen per cent., less than one- si.\th, of the cities of lesser size (25,000 to 100,000 population), which show prog¬ ress. Although it may be said that the larger cities contain a proportionately larger number of persons capable of ap¬ preciating and participating in a city planning movement, I believe the conclu¬ sion may be safely drawn that the larger cities are finding the handicap of hap¬ hazard and uncontrolled city develop¬ ment intolerable, and are being forced to undertake scientific planning, at great expense in many cases, out of sheer self- preservation, and to retrieve the losses, economic and social, which the piled-up neglect of past years has brought about. For the lesser cities the lesson of the larger cities is assuming increasing sig¬ nificance. The cities of from 25,000 to 100,000 inhabitants have begun to realize —at least one-si.xth of them have done so in the past year—that the way to avoid the costly construction, the losses to in¬ dustry and trade—the social ills, and hy¬ gienic hardships which follow in the wake of uncontrolled city growth—is to take a firm stand now, as against the day of expansion of trade, of extension of bound¬ aries, of increase of population. If we scan the record of accomplish¬ ments in city planning for the past year, one item in the hundreds that would bear report and analysis here if time permit¬ ted, stands out most strikingly. It is New York City's contribution—the Dis¬ tricting or Zoning Ordinance passed by the Board of Estimate in July last. Not since the inauguration of the movement for conscious city planning, in 1893, has a page of city planning history been writ¬ ten which embodies so many vital and interesting features as the New York dis¬ tricting moveaient and the resulting ordi¬ nance. S:0 much has been written about this, and the way in which it was built up, that I must forego more than the briefest reference to this subject. The ordinance itself is a compromise in many respects—it is not drastic enough to serve as a model for other cities—but it embodies all of the principles of the most advanced and comprehensive zoning pro¬ gram. The success attending the New York measure may be attributed to the thorough and imremitting campaign of education which was carried on, for the lack of which city planning has failed so often in America. As a result of the success of the New York movement we find that districting work is being organized, or is being ac¬ tively promoted, or actually carried on, in the following municipalities: Akron, Berkeley, Chicago, Baltimore, Cleveland, Des Moines, East Orange, Elgin, Little Rock, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Min¬ neapolis, Newark, Omaha, Ottawa (On¬ tario), Philadelphia, Sacramento, St. Louis, Springfield, Mass., and Washing¬ ton, D. C. This is certainly a remarkable showing considering the short space of time in which the movement has been gaining impetus—and one of the greatest significance. However, during the past year, district¬ ing as a part of city planning has occu¬ pied public attention largely to the exclu¬ sion of the other aspects of the city plan¬ ning problem, for much that is truly note¬ worthy has been done in other fields in the course of the past twelve months. Comprehensive city plans, varying enor¬ mously, however, in intrinsic merit and practical adaptability to actual conditions, are under way or have been prepared for the following cities: Akron, Allentown, Bayonne, Birmingham, Brantford (On¬ tario), East Boston (Mass.), East Orange, Detroit, Elgin, Johnstown, Law¬ rence, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Newark, Oakland and Berkeley, Omaha, Ottawa (Ontario), Pasadena, Pueblo, Sacra¬ mento, St. Louis and South Philadelphia. These plans cover all or a large num¬ ber of the special phases of the city plan, including the street system, land subdi¬ vision, transportation, water front im¬ provement, parks, recreation, etc. The plans for Ottawa, for Oakland and Berke¬ ley, and for Newark, are remarkable ex¬ amples of the most advanced practice in investigation and planniu"-, and that for Ottawa is presented in one of the most beautifully printed and illustrated reports yet published in America. This brief review of the city planning accomplishment of the past year would, howe'ver, not be complete without a ref¬ erence to the special studies on city plan¬ ning problems made for various cities throughout America by city planning and landscape architects. Among the most notable are th* following:— Boston, markets; Cambridge, study of building development, etc.; Camden, street replanning; Cleveland, street and bridge improvements; Denver, revision of the civic center plan; Fitehburg, study of main thoroughfares and street system; Holyoke, street planning studies; Madi¬ son, recreation survey and plan; Milwau¬ kee, general survey and report; Peoria, streets and parks; Providence, plan for Capitol site and thoroughfares; San Fran¬ cisco, new plan for the exposition site; Springfield, control of billboard advertis¬ ing, recreation; Vancouver, civic center plan. Site planning, partitularly for the pro¬ vision of home sites on a large scale, has been undertaken b}' private enterprise ire many cities under the direction of town planners or landscape architects during, tlie past year. In this connection, also,, special studies have been made for the housing of workingmen. In this class the following are particularly noteworthy as having been consummated in tlie past year: Akron, Firestone park development; Bridgeport, housing studies for the Chamber of Commerce; Duluth, Morgan: Park, for the U. S. Steel Corporation; Midland. Pa., tow'n site for industrial plant; Ojibway, Canada, new town for the U. S. Steel Corporation; Passaic, Al- wood Garden Village for the Brighton Mills; Washington, D. C, Ellen Wilson Memorial Homes development; Water¬ bury, housing studies for local commit¬ tee; Kenosha, housing development plan for local organization. These garden village or housing devel¬ opment are not the least important of the town planning problems which have been under way or completed in the past year, for in this branch of city planning we find an increasing opportunity to achieve permanent and notable results in the rectification of haphazard develop¬ ment on the perimeter of our rapidly growing cities. Turning now to city planning legisla¬ tion, we find an unprecedented activity throughout America among semi-public or official bodies, and in the legislatures of many States. In the past year the fol¬ lowing have been particularly active in the promotion, drafting or passage of laws or ordinances for city planning: (a) California, permissive law for the appointment of city plan¬ ning commissions. Massachusetts, law providing for the appointment of Boards of Survey, with control over platting. Pennsylvania, permissive law for appointment of a district¬ ing commission in cities of the first class. Indiana, energetic steps for se¬ curing the passage of a city planning law. (b) Ordinances in Akron, Bayonne, East Orange, Johnstown, Mansfield (Ohio), Mt. Ber- non, Santa Monica (Cal.), To¬ ledo, creating city planning commissions under State per¬ missive laws. In Cincinnati, strenuous efiforts by public- spirited citizens to secure ap- pc^intive ordinance. (c) Ordinances in Berkeley, New York and Sacramento, mak¬ ing districting control effec¬ tive. Ordinances in Philadel- (Continued on page 219)