City Planning as Related to the Smaller Cities

The National Conference on City Planning has urged American municipalities to establish City Planning Commissions, adopt a City Plan and “sell” it to the citizenship. This program embraces all cities, irrespective of size. It can probably be applied with greater ease and greater chances of success to the smaller city than to the larger one, because there arc fewer mistakes to correct and the subject-matter is in a more plastic stage. The City Planning Commission should be established by ordinance, to furnish some degree of permanence to its existence. Its members should be selected from outstanding citizens who have sufficient leisure to attend the meetings, inspect plans, meet with interested owners, etc. The City Planning Commission should have a budget so that quarters may be acquired, a Consultant employed, and a staff of sufficient size to prepare maps, make studies, arrange meetings, give out publicity, etc. Rules should be formulated for the platting of property and a zoning ordinance should be adopted at an early date.