290 LANDSCAPE DESIGN 



relation to the residential areas tributary to them, and they often may 

 be arranged for at the junctions of roads with the double advantage 

 of being thus particularly accessible and of making use of a corner which 

 on account of its shape or its surface might have been difficult to use 

 for residential lots. In addition, the church or the schoolhouse may 

 be an important object visually in the general scheme, pleasantly clos- 

 ing a street vista. If there is to be any local shopping in the subdivision, 

 this should be definitely provided for. This may require nothing more 

 than the setting aside of lots at some convenient corner where a grocery 

 store and a drug store may be located. If the subdivision be large 

 enough and sufficiently separated from other residential areas it may 

 form a little town of itself, with a civic center in which buildings for 

 the various public uses may be grouped. This center would lie on the 

 transit line and presumably near the railroad station if there is one. 



Small areas may be set aside purely for decorative purposes, for 

 greater picturesqueness or greater amplitude in the street design. 

 The junction of two streets may thus be graced with a planted triangle, , 

 or perhaps a more considerable area, at an intersection or a curve ini 

 the road, may be dedicated to the embellishment of the whole scheme 

 because it cannot be economically used in lots. Special pieces of landi 

 may be set aside for community parks or gardens, serving certain re- 

 stricted areas only, and planned to be administered by some voluntary 

 association of those land-owners whom they benefit. A little children's < 

 playground may be set aside in the center of a block, serving that: 

 block only. This too may be planned to be locally administered, but; 

 in actual practice this has not been found to work out satisfactorily.*' 

 There is a general difficulty in arranging minor local organizations to 

 take care of local areas, because the body of people concerned is con- 

 stantly changing, and new purchasers of lots do not care to take on > 

 such an indefinite cooperative responsibility. It is better, usually, to 

 be able to leave all matters of public administration and upkeep to the 

 town or city authorities when finally the land developers have sold 

 all their lots and withdrawn. Those managing a land subdivision , 

 may find it excellent advertising and in the long run a great benefit 

 to turn over a considerable tract of land to a country club on easy 



* See article by S. H. Hare in City Planning, Oct. 1928, Interior Block Play- 

 grounds in High Class Residential Developments. 



