The realization that the national capital was falling behind in its program of land acquisition, which was made all the more evident by the building up, during the postwar period, of numerous areas which the McMillan plan had designated to become public open spaces, led to the creation in 1924 of the National Capital Park Commission. The creation of this Commission was largely due to the efforts of the American Civic Association, a country-wide organization whose conception is of the National Capital rather than of the City of Washington. Accordingly, the Commission was given authority to acquire lands for park, parkway and playground purposes, not only within the District of Columbia, but in adjacent sections of Maryland and Virginia. It is now evident, both from observation of local conditions and from the experience of cities elsewhere that the city's facilities and conveniences, and above all its planning activities, must not be confined to an arbitrary line such as the District of Columbia boundary, or in the usual case the city line, but must be extended to cover a more or less indefinite region which in one way or another may be tributary to the city itself.

Upon this National Capital Park Commission, given a broad field. of activity, devolved the necessity of carefully planning its program in order to insure for the region a properly co-ordinated system of public lands. The McMillan park plan of 1901 existed as a guide for the area within the District of Columbia only. However, due to progress of building developments, certain very considerable areas which had been included in the McMillan plan had been placed beyond reach. Not only had the cost been made prohibitive by the erection of buildings, but in many cases grading operations and the destruction of natural topography and trees had rendered the areas unsuited for the purpose.

Accordingly the park commission found it essential to go into planning work in order to develop a program which would be successful. The necessity of co-ordinating this park planning work with all other features of planning was so evident from the beginning, that, during the last session of Congress, the membership and duties of the National Capital Park Commission were extended so that now, under the act passed by Congress in March of this year, the National Capital Park and Planning Commission is charged not only with those duties of land acquisition which previously devolved upon the Park Commission, but also with the preparation of a regional plan for the Nation's Capital.

This Commission is a continuing body, thereby insuring a continuation of pressure toward the execution of its plans. In that respect the difficulties in which we were involved as to the execution of the McMillan park plan will be avoided.

This commission is national, not local, in character. The conception is not one of the development of a city for the city's own sake, but the development of a capital for the nation's sake. For this reason the Commission includes a membership of which only three of

eleven may be considered to represent the local viewpoint, while the other eight represent the national viewpoint. Three of these eight are executive officials of the Federal Government whose activities are nationwide; two are members of Congress; and three are "eminent citizens well qualified and experienced in city planning," appointed by the President of the United States for a term of six years. Of these three, one at the present time is from Philadelphia, one from Kansas City, and one from California.

Under this legislation, the National Capital Park and Planning Commission, since its creation some six months ago, is proceeding with a regional plan. The authorities of Maryland and Virginia are co-operating to the fullest extent. The Governor of each of these States has appointed a commission to further such co-operation and to develop methods of securing execution of the plans made. At last winter's session of the Virginia Assembly, certain legislation was passed in anticipation of the creation of the planning commission, although our act was not as yet upon the federal statute books. Legislation of a similar character is expected in Maryland during the coming session, the legislature of that State not having been in session during the past winter.

The Planning Commission now has a working organization and has adopted a program which includes for the next year the basic and preliminary studies of our problems in relation to the most important elements of planning, including highways, railroads and terminals, mass transportation, water supply and drainage, parkways, general parks, neighborhood centers, and zoning. These will be followed by more complete and detailed studies in furtherance of the Commission's function to "develop and maintain" as well as "prepare" the regional plans.

As has been stated, the legislation passed by Congress, the personnel of the Commission, and the Commission's conception of its duties, are all based upon the idea that our entire country is interested in the development of the District of Columbia and its environs in a manner befitting its position as the future, if not the present, world's capital. Proper planning makes for economy in execution, as foresight is essential to suitable and proper development of a city's facilities. The planning of utilitarian features of this city will therefore, as in any other city, be a source of economy. The Planning Commission considers, however, that the position of this city in the eyes of the country and of the world is such that the Commission may be justified in adding to the utilitarian features, plans for the establishment of the Capital to make it a beautiful, dignified and impressive city, to be visited with enjoyment by all people.

The development of the National Capital is in the hands of Congress, your representatives, the sole source of legislation and appropriations for the District of Columbia. Congress prescribes not only the Federal expenditures which may be made here, but also the amount of local taxation and the application of local revenues. The

consummation of plans for the Capital, therefore, depends upon your interest, which we bespeak, in the belief that each of you is desirous that our country's capital be second to none.

DISCUSSION

VICE-PRESIDENT POOLE: Major Brown, we are very much indebted to you for the interesting paper. It will be a very valuable contribution to our proceedings. Now I think Major Brown would be glad to answer any questions anybody might care to ask.

PRESIDENT HATTON: It has been said that three members of this commission are officers of the government. Will the Major please tell us what positions they hold?

MAJOR BROWN:

The Director of the National Park Service; the Chief of the Forest Service, and the Chief of Engineers of the United States Army.

PRESIDENT HATTON: It appears to me that this sort of paper going out from this Society must carry home the facts to our own constituencies and do a great deal of good toward showing our home people what elaborate plans are being carried out in our national capital for the beautification of the capital, and that the expense and care is warranted. It seems to me that such is one thing we have to overcome in our own cities. Also, I think it is a fine thing to show our own cities how the surrounding country is co-operating in the development. of this city planning for the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. That is a fine thing to let our people know. We have frequently run up against the objections of our towns and smaller cities in an effort to obtain co-operation. It appears to them that we are unnecessarily increasing their taxes and taking from them property rights, whereas they are more largely benefited than the people within the heart of the city.

MR. CORSON: Do you take into consideration playgrounds, and, if so, how are they developed?

MAJOR BROWN: The National Capital Park and Planning Commission is charged with the preparation of a playground plan and the acquisition of land for playgrounds. However, it is not charged with the administration of the playgrounds. That work is carried on by a playground department under the District Government.

MR. CORSON: Does the government provide the apparatus that go with playgrounds?

MAJOR BROWN: Yes; but as to number and extent of playgrounds our system is not yet adequate. There are some 20 municipal playgrounds equipped with apparatus within the District of Columbia in addition to school playgrounds. The school grounds also are supplied with apparatus often meager due to limitations of the site. We also have some playgrounds in the parks, although the park recreation. facilities are mainly those for golf, baseball, tennis, polo, etc.

VICE-PRESIDENT POOLE: We thank Major Brown for this interesting paper.

BUILDING A CITY FROM ITS PLAN

By P. L. Brockway, City Engineer, Wichita, Kansas

Much has been said of the desirability of making a city plan and the benefits to be derived therefrom. Much more has been discussed

in those cities having a plan as to ways and means of putting it into execution. On the other hand practically nothing has ever been told of possibilities of quietly going ahead with building according to the plan. Somehow there seems to be an impression, almost universal in its scope, that the plan is simply a report, supported by a mass of undigested statistics and a heap of musty maps; unless a big bond issue is authorized, and a perfectly gorgeous lot of buildings are torn down as evidence of progress. It is admitted that such programs are being carried out in a number of cities and that these communities are justly entitled to point with pride to their progressive spirit. It might not be amiss, however, to delicately hint that some of them were so sorely infested with blighted areas, strangulation of traffic flow and kindred ills that nothing less than major operations would afford relief.

Other cities not so seriously afflicted, do not so readily accept the necessity for major projects and promptly vote no when the question is presented. This is unfortunate, for the officials who should be putting the plan into effect lose their enthusiasm and the support of the people in even building toward a plan.

This word "toward" is used advisedly. After all no city ever reaches its final form until it has ceased to grow. The plan of yesterday may be reached today but the plan must be constantly developed for tomorrow.

Many cities can get along very nicely with not much reconstruction except as becomes inevitable with obsolescence and depreciation but no one in responsible charge of the design, construction and maintenance of public work can appreciate how much he can be helped by a plan, until he has used one as a guide for a few years.

A comprehensive plan for the City of Wichita, Kansas was completed by Harland Bartholomew in 1922. As City Engineer and secretary of the City Planning Commission since that time, I have had an unsual opportunity to test out the usefulness of a city plan in a growing city rapidly approaching one hundred thousand in population.

May I be pardoned speaking of my personal experience, when I say that my copy of the plan is getting somewhat worn. It is still surprising to me that there are so many questions I can answer and so many points I can illustrate by turning to the particular chapter which is pertinent.

As to the actual building toward the plan: The first step deals with the opening of streets largely by dedication, some by deed, others by condemnation proceedings. It is a simple matter to say to an owner that he must make his streets of a certain width, but the next thing is to persuade him to do it. So he is shown successively; the major street plan with its indicated widths, the pictorial cross section of a street of the proposed width illustrating the idea of traffic lanes and parking widths, the park and boulevard system, the zoning plan and finally, if all else fails, the teeth in the statute which says he can't file his plat without approval of the City planning Commission. Then we say that if he conforms to the major street plan, he may do as he pleases with the secondary streets provided etc. You get the psychology of the trade. When all the provisos are inserted he has little choice except in the matter of curvature in secondary streets.

But this is the point to be emphasized, he knows he is only handling one unit of a big plan and the more difficulty he experiences, the more certain he is of similar protection in the next adjacent tract when it is platted. Without a plan in a book, containing printed rules and maps it would not be possible to convince everyone. As a matter of fact, it sometimes takes months, but when the final result is reached, it has been with the full consent of the platter in every case. Men who make it their business now come to us first of all with crude sketches for preliminary criticism.

As to the deeding of streets, there have been six different deeds made to the city without remuneration in the last month, all but one being portions of the extension or opening of major streets. All of them come unsolicited, and in every case the description was written to conform exactly to the major street plan by the city engineer.

Condemnation proceedings have not been very numerous in the five years of operation under the city plan. One very important connection has been obtained at a cost of less than five thousand dollars. It will not be used much for a few years, but encroaching development made it necessary to act to avoid much greater expense later.

As to improvement of streets practically no thought was given to traffic requirements or traffic lanes until the plan became available. No one could forecast the need. One item will illustrate the point. A major street eighty feet over all has a paved roadway thirty feet wide. Traffic is too heavy for such a roadway. A suggestion has been made that it be widened to forty feet. Another would make the roadway fifty. We are suggesting from traffic counts and the zoning map, that it be made forty in residence districts and fifty-six in commercial zones. It is so apparent that traffic needs will be well served in this way without excessive expenditure that the suggestion will doubtless be approved with very little opposition.

Another case to illustrate farther: it was proposed, in fact a