--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Harris, F. S. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 23 number: 5 published: 1920-03 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Harris, F. S., "Town Planning," *Improvement Era* 23, no. 5 (March 1920): 415–417.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2305unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera2305unse start_page: 415 end_page: 417 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1920-03) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2305unse publication_year: 1920 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1920, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Town Planning A House but not a Home Town Planning By Dr. F. S. Harris, Director Utah Agricultural Experiment Station The story is told of a man who built a house without a plan. The first set of workmen he employed received no instructions except that they were to build a large house. The foreman in the absence of drawings and plans decided to make the foundation of sandstone, but when it was only half done he died and another foreman had to be employed. He, like the first one, was given no orders except that he was to complete the building. His ideas were at variance with those of the first foreman. He said anyone should know that granite is better for a foundation than sandstone and accordingly he instructed his helpers to finish the foundation with granite. He began to make the walls of marble but did not complete the work before he decided to accept a position elsewhere. This necessitated the employment of a third foreman, who said marble was altogether too expensive when brick would do just as well at a much lower cost. Accordingly the remainder of the walls were constructed of brick. Before the house was finally completed the ideas of fifteen or twenty foremen had been incorporated in the building. The result was an incongruous piece of patchwork composed of excellent material, but so put together that it possessed neither — 416 IMPROVEMENT ERA beauty nor comfort. The material was placed as if by accident. It was an eye-sore to neighbors and townsmen and a source of everlasting discomfort to people who lived in it. Sufficient money had been spent to have built a home that Fence, gate and house all show equal lack of pride would have been a delight to all who passed and a joy to those who had the privilege of being sheltered by it. A person cannot go through some of the towns of the country without feeling that they were built on the same plan — or rather lack of plan as the house in the story. No attempt whatever has been made to coordinate the various features of the town. As many kinds of material have been used in mak« ing the houses as the market affords. Fences are made without regard to appearances and the variety of design would almost suggest that a contest in incongruities had been held. The only unifying feature in some towns is that they are all in an equal state of delapidation. The shade trees along the streets seem to have been planted without the least idea of imparting beauty to the thoroughfare. Ditches are left with various degrees of width, depth, crookedness, and weediness. In laying out the town— if indeed it were ever laid out no — provision was made for a public park or play ground. It seems that each settler had in mind getting as much as he could for himself with no consideration whatever for the community as a whole. Is there any wonder that when young people go away from a place of this kind they are ashamed to acknowledge their TOWN PLANTING 417 home town and want as soon as possible to become identified with some other place? When you have visited a town like that one indicated above, have you not been conscious of the change that could be made if only a few enterprising citizens should determine to reconstruct the place? If only that crowd of loafers who are wearing out their pocket knives whittling on the street corner could be induced to wear out a few pruning hooks, shovels, hammers, and paint brushes, what a change could be made! If each street should have a particular kind of shade tree designated for it and plantings made this year; if the fences could be repaired or rebuilt; if sidewalks could be improved; if the ditches could be straightened; if the houses could be fixed up and painted; if shrubs, flower gardens, and lawns could be planted; if all unsightly yards were set in order; if a town park could be made; if a town library could be provided; if proper places of amusement could be arranged: in short, if just the things that are within the reach of the citizens of this particular town were put into effect, what a transformation could be wrought! In such a case the proverbial making of the desert to blossom as the rose, would have to take second place in the list of great changes. I can conceive of no finer work being taken up by the Mutual Improvement Associations of a town than to institute a A well-kept road bordered by beautiful shade trees campaign for the careful planning of the town and get all the citizens to improve their own homes in harmony with the general plan. If your town is already beautiful, it can be improved; but if it is ugly, itcan be absolutely transformed. Waiting for oth-