AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MUNICIPAL IMPROVEMENTS, Charles E. DeLeuw, C. L. Hawkins, Representatives. AMERICAN SHORT LINE RAILROAD ASSOCIATION, Thos. L. Rust, Representative. AMERICAN MINING CONGRESS, Fred Norman, Representative. UNITED STATES BUREAU OF STANDARDS, Prof. Edward Schmidt, Representative. Victor Angerer, Representative. REPORT OF CANVASSING COMMITTEE OF VOTES CAST BY LETTER BOLLOT. For the adoption of the Design for Seven-Inch Plain Girder Rails for Use in Paved Streets as submitted to the 1926 Convention. Yes, 96; Noes, 6. E. R. KINSEY, INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CITY PLANNING Report on International Conference on City Planning By LOUIS L. TRIBUS The responsibilities of a delegate to a great convocation may rest lightly at time of the event, but bear very heavily when the "report back" stage arrives. In April, 1925, your representatives attended various sessions in New York City of the "International Town, City and Regional Planning Conference." As the full proceedings have been published in book form and thus made available to all specially interested in the problems discussed, this delegate will make no attempt at recapitulation, or even a review of the papers. Further, the problems of New York City, so typical of the troubles of all great communities, have received much attention by the experts retained by the "Regional Plan of New York and Its Environs," largely set forth in a series of interesting pamphlets. Here again it seems unnecessary to do much reviewing. Something still more recent has been the appointment by Mayor Walker of a committee of about 500, who through sub-committees, are charged with studying and reporting upon the seven-fold problems of New York: (1) Housing, Zoning and Distribution of Population; (2) Port and Terminal Facilities; (3) Traffic Regulation and Street Uses; (4) Sanitation and Harbor Pollution; (5) Highways and Bridges; (6) Parks and Recreational Facilities; (7) New Sources of City Revenue. The proposal is very ambitious, the opportunities very great, but gatuitous service is not generally productive of great results. The personnel has, however, been very carefully chosen, with but slight attention to political bearings, and hopes are great. Returning to the conference, the impression was one of the presence of many earnest men and women gathered from many countries, some thoroughly wrapt in their own hobbies and anxious to exploit them, but most exhibiting helpful instincts and enthusiasm in suggesting and seeking ways to better the living conditions of people herded into compact communities. There were countless views and ideas, but virtually all betterments were shown to hinge on laws, promulgated under the "police powers" granted to the people's trustees for enforcement. Under the broadest outlook, "public health" measures must be the controlling factors and there is but little that they do not include: Height, proportions and condition of buildings, open spaces, width of streets, movement of traffic, working possibilities, broad education, in addition to control of food, drink and sanitation; in fact anything and everything that permits and aids the earning of a livelihood under decent conditions and the general pursuit of happiness. There were brought to the attention of the delegates very interesting illustrations and through excursions, concrete results, exhibited of three types of development: One, two and three family detached houses with community playgrounds and grassed areas, for moderate purses; great fireproof, sanitary apartment houses with courtyard spaces, all arranged for convenience and decency, but no luxury, suited for very modest means, and groups of apartment structures and simple homes with every reasonable facility for and even luxury in living, provided for the well-to-do. Each type produced by corporations and on such scale as to secure maximum economy in construction and reasonable ease in financing. The rich look out for themselves, but the very poor have not received the full aid needed, though some relief is in sight; at least the old-time backyard tenements are disappearing under pressure, rather than due to voluntary will of landlords. New York state, through its "Commission of Housing and Regional Planning," has gathered a vast grist of data, going to the root of the matter-forest conservation, water supply protection, areas for best economic development, large district sanitation, etc., looking to fostering occupation where raw materials needed in manufacturing can be best secured, and wastes can be dispersed without complications. Rather curiously and scarcely to be thought at first, transportation is the crux of the whole physical problem of living, and even largely controls the mental and spiritual. The wigwam, the log cabin, the shack, multiplied into communities brought out few difficulties, but when solid blocks of dwellings appeared and domiciles became piled one upon another, such as now exist to the 33rd degree, the trials not only present themselves, but develop in geometrical ratio. A few years ago, all the cry was "The City Beautiful," with civic centers, attractive facades, parklets, manicured shade trees, fountains, etc; then a wave of civic righteousness reared its crest and "The City Efficient" demanded intelligent attention. Each great requirement produced great results and gain; now "City Transportation" is the current vital factor. At one time townspeople gathered at the public square, shopping and gossiping around the margin; indulging in the show or opera, while their horses were hitched to the log railings, to admire, while munching their oats, their soldiers' and sailors' monuments, and finally being watered at the fountain erected by or in honor of some local benefactor. In the smaller places, the same obtains today, except that the autos far outnumber the former horses and the excitement of the movies takes precedence over the gossiping, while some congestion is decidedly present. But to the real and not simply to the potential cities, come the problems, which cannot be brushed aside; where each office building empties out between 4:30 and 5:30 p. m., from 300 to 5,000 human beings, homeward bound, and in a hurry, and when as in many cities, there are hundreds of such structures, what happens? In most places the immediate crowding of cars, buses and trains becomes disgraceful, and the private motor car and taxicab, with their very limited service, make confusion worse confounded, as they race and dodge here and there to get through other and really more legitimate traffic. It is an extravagant use of the streets, yet must be condoned until public facilities have reached adequate capacity. A few years ago the manager of a great street railroad system became quite wrathful when utterance was given to the opinion that the last urban street car track had been laid in New York, (or for that matter, anywhere) and that much of the then present trackage would be abandoned in favor of buses, with their greater flexibility, fairly equal speed and growing comfort. The result came sooner than the speaker thought and each year there is greater abandonment; even for freight handling on main railroad systems, now that good roads and powerful trucks make possible the loading of goods at the factory with delivery at the store door. This general condition has had a tremendous effect upon housing and city planning, yet not enough yet to offset the craze for gigantic apartment house life. The tendency has been almost all towards concentration, and segregation for residence, amusement, factory, shopping, catering and office, but the great pendulum of human thought is beginning to reverse its slow swing, and a scattering of activities is well in mind, not to be treated as from a great sieve, dropping in a uniform layer well mixed houses, stores, factories, churches, offices, etc., rather the development of local self-sufficient centers. Only a few years back, similarly to office building occupation, except for tenements for the very poor, a simple house sheltered a single family of four to seven people, and a single block of average city dimensions provided space for say, 50 houses, and some 300 or so people. Now the same block accommodates 10 or more apartment houses, each serving 50 to 100 families, representing 3,000 to 5,000 people, or ten times the number for which the neighboring street system was designed. Under the former conditions, not more than say two families in the block kept horse and carriage, easily cared for in neighboring side streets and using the streets without mutual interference; now probably 100 families in the same block use autos. Yet the street system has not stretched. Further, an old time custom countenanced the good housewife going to market, and with or without aid of a servant carrying home her purchases. Now pride requires everything to be store-sent. The old time husband could be seen toting his weekly market basket with some of the heavier food supplies. Potatoes, sugar, flour, apples, were usually purchased by the barrel, constituting almost the only articles requiring vehicular delivery. Now each tradesman maintains a fleet of vehicles to deliver a pound of cheese here, a dozen eggs there, a box of spice somewhere else, unduly and improperly using inadequate street space. The tradesmen of one community have recently, it is said, put into effect a clever arrangement: each one will sell to anyone, for personal carriage, any of his goods, but will only sell and deliver to parties within a prescribed district. This will not lessen the total of sales, but will lessen delivery charges and street congestion and should reduce prices. New York City is about to try some restriction of milk distribution to prevent the present thundering through each residence street of a half dozen huge milk trucks, representing different companies, each with a few customers, where one could easily supply the demand, and under requirements as to quality and "gentlemen's agreements" as to price, to all round advantage. With present travel facilities, family autos chiefly, sleeping in suburbs is easier than formerly, checking to a slight degree herding in big apartments, but it makes for greater morning and evening rail and boat congestion. Zoning is a protection of values, but only slightly lessens congestion; controlling the height and space occupied by buildings conserves light and air, making for health, but it scarcely reduces the thousands on a block. Lessening the number of tradesmen's delivery vehicles, and the increased use of electrical appliances and steam from central plants, frees the streets somewhat, though removal of waste products still remains an important element of service; all this helps broad economy but does not lessen the twice daily movement of the compacted inhabitants. It is easy to deal in glittering generalities as to delay and costs, but to reduce the matter to dollars and cents is far different and very diffi cult. The Fifth Avenue Association of New York City has, however, made a very earnest attempt. It charges to traffic delays and congestion; increased manufacturing costs, extra delivery expense, unnecessary accidents, and property depreciation, an average of $33.00 per year per inhabitant. Thirty-three dollars does not sound much as a single item, but multiply that by six million, makes a sum worth considering, and saving, if possible. Adequate relief cannot be secured, even with wider streets, new thoroughfares, the savings discussed earlier in this paper, elevated sidewalks, greater traffic speed through synchronous regulation, etc., but when resort is had to scattered centers there is hope. Such centers should supply within reasonable walking distance, homes, stores, markets, garages, offices, schools, churches, amusement places, physicians, lawyers; thus breaking up the intensive segregation of the present day. Small parks should be included, with court houses and other public buildings for the conduct of municipal housekeeping. The great libraries and museums, the large parks, the central government offices, newspapers, etc., could well be placed so as to serve the whole city, for the daily human travel to and fro would be almost negligible. Factories on large scale have no place in a closely built up city; they should find sites in circumferential towns; finished products alone being delivered for city consumption. During certain months a few years ago, there was a slight adjustment of business hours in New York, by which some places opened and closed earlier than usual, and others later. It made an appreciable gain in travel during rush hour periods. A similar scheme on greater scale is again be ing considered. May we not look forward to twelve or fourteen hour business days, divided into overlapping periods, so as to produce two terms each of ingress and egress. This might be achieved through trade agreements; textile and dry goods houses and department stores adopting one shift; banking, brokerage, professions and general office occupations another, while the overlapping hours could well provide for mutually dependent activities. Speech transmittal has rendered unnecessary much of the eye to eye intercourse; when science perfects visualization, much more can be abandoned. The radio brings to one seated in comfort in his home, news of the day, market quotations and much of the best in education, music and even worship, cutting out the need for a great deal of travel; but no facility will ever cut out entirely the desire for extensive direct human contact, and that makes for transportation difficulties. This delegate remembers when knots of men stood and chatted in Chicago's business streets, with horse traffic freely passing by; he questions whether such a condition was not healthier in the broadest sense, than the present with its terrific congestion and high speed notions and living. For comfort, the ideal can only be secured through self-sufficient, moderate-sized communities or aggregations of such governed, if you please, through central authorities, but calling for the minimum of necessary in and out movement. Therefore centralized decentralization is the hope for the future, even though it takes a cataclysm to secure. |