--- 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, Franklin S. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 25 number: 12 published: 1922-10 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Franklin S. Harris, "Town and City Planning", *Improvement Era* 25, no. 12 (October 1922): 1071–1075.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera25012unse 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: improvementera25012unse start_page: 1071 end_page: 1075 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1922-10) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera25012unse publication_year: 1922 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 1922, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Town and City Planning No one can doubt the stability of this house; but if we Consider beauty and hominess, there is much to be desired Town and City Planning By F. S. Harris, President of the Brigham Young University Havis you ever noticed how your estimate of people is influenced by the appearance of the town in which they live? If anyone tells me he is from Cleveland, I immediately think of Euclid Avenue and place a mark to his credit. A number of years ago when I met a person from Kansas City I instinctively thought of the old station, with its crowds and dirt and of that uneven part of town with narrow streets which has sincie been turned over largely to the wholesale district. A person from the newer Kansas City occupies an entirely different place in my r/egard than one from the old city, even though the two might be the same person. We are all judged to an extent by our dwelling place and yet some people seem to be entirely unconscious of civic beauty or thet lack of it. I know men who have built expensive homes and who have a pride in their immediate surroundings and yet who do not seem to take the least interest in the town as a whole. They remind me a good deal of a Mexican who came to our farm in rags and wanted work. He was given a twelve dollar contract cutting corn. He spent ten dollars of his pay for a fancy beaver hat and the other two dollars for food. He went away holding his head high with pride because of the new hat, quite unconscious of dilapidated shoes and holes in his trousiers at knees and seat. 1072 IMPROVEMENT ERA In like manner some cities are proud of their single beauty spot and seem content to let other places remain in dilapida- tion and filth. They do not seem to realize that an leyesore even though surrounded by beauty is conspicuous. They neglect the psychology that causes an observer to remember a piece of egg that is allowed to remain on a necktie much longer than the fine clothes its owner may be wearing. There are some towns that remain in my memory principally because of broken down gates, pillows stuffed in broken win- dows, weeds in the street, dirty corrals next the main streets, and other evidences of lack of individual and civic pride. Carelessness is rapidly giving way to a new pride that Top left: An unsightly yard in town. A breeder of flies and an eye- sore to all who pass. These filthy places should be driven from our towns. Top right: A desolate house of this kind ivtihout lawn, shrubs or trees detracts from the beauty of any town. Places of this kind should not be tolerated. Bottom left: A neat market in a zoned city. Bottom right: The Jiouse Bs only part of the home. Shrubs, flowers and trees all help to make it attractive. extends beyond our own doorsteps. Our interest is extending to the entire community and in the future we shall not tolerate conditions that went uncondemned yesterday. The care that has so long been usled in planning houses is now used in planning cities. Of the cities built in the future we shall not be able to say what has been said of the older1 parts TOWN AND CITY PLANNING 1073 of Boston and Baltimore, that a cow made a trail and this deter- mined the course of the street. The towns settled by the Latter-day Saints were laid out according to a definite plan and as a result they arte orderly in their street arrangement. They have a fine foundation, but many of them have failed to take advantage of many of the modern developments in town building, and as a result some of our towns are unpleasingly shabby. We fail to follow an early injunction (Doc. and Cov. 82:14), "For Zion must increase in beauty and holiness; her borders must be enlarged; her stakes must be strengthenied ; yea, verily I say unto you, Zion must arise and put on her beautiful garments." We have taken upon ourselves to be leaders in all that is "lovely or of good report or praiseworthy." This includes the beautification of our towns and cities and the making of them pleasant places for ourselves and our visitors. In some places we are doing this, but in others we are failing miserably. We must all get together to help Zion to put on her beautiful gar- ments. The movement for the better planning of cities and thfeir more complete beautification is making itself felt in all parts of the United States. The 15 largest cities and 57 of the 100 next largest cities of the country are doing definite city plan- ning. In 113 cities some city planning is under way. Massa- chusetts, California, and Pennsylvania are the states that are in the lead in this movement, although over 30 states of the United States have some laws plertaining to city planning. In Canada nearly all of the provinces provide for this planning. The Canadian Government has also interested itself extensively in rural planning. Its Commission of Conservation in 1917 pub- lished a very finte book on Rural Planning and Development under the able authorship of Thomas Adams, town planning adviser of the Commission. Modern city planning concerns itself with six main prob- lems: (1) street systems, (2) transit system, (3) transportation, (4) public recreation, (5) zoning, and (6) civic art. Each one of these is important, and each has many complex aspects in the larger cities. In the smaller towns the question is simpler but no less important. Zoning is receiving much attention of late, and many cities are wisely passing zoning ordinances. These usually provide three kinds of regulations, which affect ( 1 ) the uses of property and buildings; (2) the height of buildings; and (3) the size and arrangement of buildings on lots and open spaces about such buildings. A zoning ordinance will encourage like types 1074 IMPROVEMENT ERA of structures within districts to be determined in accordance with their most natural fitness. It makes it impossible for an unsightly factory to be erected in a residence district where it would depreciate the *value of every residence in the district. Factories, railroads, and other industrial enterprises are necessary and have a definite place in our civil life, but if they occur in the wrong place they may be a great source of annoy- ance and may cause great money loss by the depreciation of property. A spot of oil received while greasing an automobile would not injure a pair of overalls, whereas it might ruin a palm beach suit. Everything should be kept in a place where it can be of most use and this includes the various elements that go toward making up a city. A number of our American cities are now making very fine zoning arrangements. Cleveland recently established Cleveland Heights, a fine residence district; Patterson, N. J., has 4 resi- dence zones, 2 business districts, and a light and heavy indus- trial district. Although most of our Utah communities are small and the difficulties arising from industrial expansion have not become acute, still we find a few eye-sores in our front yards, and now is the time to give the question consideration. We should plan to zone our industries and we should plan to keep the rest of our cities so beautiful that we feel a glow of pride when we acknowledge that it is our city. The shade trees planted by our grandparents are not •enough. Some of them need cutting down; many more trees A house of this kind ivith its plantings adds to the beauty of any town TOWN AND CITY PLANNING 1075 should be planted. Ornamental shrubs need to be planted by the thousands in practically all of our communities. Old fences ought to be torn down; and paint by the hundreds of gallons should be applied. We need hundreds of miles of ce- ment curb and gutters in our larger towns, and provisions for parking should be made everywhere. A person in Utah cannot but feel a sense of prid\e at the fine work done in Logan in getting uniform shade trees on its streets. The work done in Payson in converting the thicket of a creek bank into a finfe city park is most commendable, and the interest in beautification recently taken by St. George gives sat- isfaction to all who are anxious to see Zion made beautiful. Let these be (examples to all our communities. I hope that our Mutual Improvement Associations will become veri- table centers of activity to make our communities so beautiful' and attractive that they may be used as an example by all the world. Provo, Utah Supplication Oh, Lord, I pray Thee to lead me In the path of duty and right. That in true faith I may serve Thee. My armor may ever be bright! Powers of evil and darkness May I have strength to resist! Bless me, I pray Thee, my Savior, In righteouness may I assist! Trials of life are great burdens To those without faith in a God. Faith in our blessed Redeemer Gives strength to pass under the rod. Bles me, I pray Thee, my Savior, That my faith may ever be- strong; That it may guide and direct me, Far away from evil and wrong! Bless me, I pray Thee, my Savior, That I all biddings may do; That in the cause of my Master I may always prove valiant and true. This prayer I offer in fervor To Israel's most Holy One, That I may reecive this plaudit: "You've been faithful, my blessed son." JR. R. Tanner