112 CONFERENCE ON NATURAL BEAUTY 



Said Kublai Khan : "It is not enough to build parks in our city. 

 Rather, we shall create our whole city as a park." And so today it 

 is not enough to build open spaces into our cities; we must rather 

 conceive of each city as an interrelated park, sometimes in tight com- 

 pression and sometimes open and free, with homes, schools, factories, 

 and institutions beautifully interspersed. 



As we talk today about city parks and open spaces, we must 

 understand their purpose. Open space with no purpose may be 

 only emptiness. Knowledgeable urban designers know that to be 

 significant, each space or complex must be planned so as to express 

 and accommodate its function. 



For example, if you were to build a play lot for a child, this play 

 lot must be a plaything in itself, with bright colors, rich textures, 

 symbols, things to put on top of each other, things to move around. 

 It must have low spaces, high spaces, things to crawl through, places 

 to stand on, things to stir the child's imagination. 



Each space within our cities must be designed in size, shape, pro- 

 portion, color, texture, and symbolism to express and accommodate 

 its function. 



How do we build a city into a salubrious environment? How do 

 we build this magic environment for mankind? 



The answer is simple. We build it thoughtfully, carefully, and 

 expressively, space by space, place by place. And the sum of these 

 places and spaces will be this more vital environment. 



What are the functions of open spaces and parks? They are 

 ways for movement of vehicles and pedestrians. These must be de- 

 signed as ways, free-flowing channels for movement without friction. 

 They are places, and these places must be planned as congregating 

 places, each designed to express its function. If these ways and 

 places together are conceived in harmony with the natural and man- 

 made features of the city, then and only then is the form good. Then 

 and only then is the city beautiful. 



Our purpose today is not to philosophize. Our purpose is to de- 

 velop a series of specific and creative concepts and suggestions for 

 Federal, State, and local action. 



I would like to start off with a few proposals. First, I suggest 

 that an appropriate Federal agency initiate regional conferences and 

 seminars on open space planning. They should be held again and 

 again, around the country, where people who care can come together 

 and discuss park and open space planning in depth. 



