PARKS AND OPEN SPACES 113 



We need a study of the economic value of urban parks, parkways, 

 and open spaces. We seem to think that when you put land to park 

 or open space use, you take it away from the city, that you take away 

 from the real estate value of the city. I have heard a distinguished 

 planner say that the future of Chicago would be grim indeed if it 

 were not for the Cook County Forest Preserves, those great green 

 rivers of parkland that flow through all of Cook County and around 

 which much of the best development in the county occurs. 



What do these parks cost the local government? The first band 

 of property around the edge of a forest preserve increases in value 

 because the park is there. It has been said that the increased tax 

 yield on this first band of property is more than enough to acquire 

 and develop and operate the preserves which attract the best housing, 

 the best industrial parks, the best commercial areas, the best insti- 

 tutional development in the Chicago area. 



I propose that the Housing and Home Finance Agency or some 

 appropriate agency make a study of what open space and park 

 planning brings to a city in terms of, not only economic value, but 

 of all the other values as well. I believe that if such a study is made 

 and the facts become known, there would be a drive to get more and 

 more open space, to build more value into all of our cities. 



I propose that the Bureau of Public Roads require that grants-in- 

 aid be contingent upon more effective coordination of highway plans 

 with comprehensive and open space plans of local governments. 



I propose a permanent State commission or department on en- 

 vironment, so that at the State level there is some agency to coordi- 

 nate all the many diverse open space, recreation, and conservation 

 programs of the State. 



I propose a regulation to preserve all streams and river basins to 

 a 50-year flood level against development, except for agriculture, 

 recreation, or parkway purposes. 



I propose that flood plains be reserved for open space purposes 

 and be used to build great greenbelts down the valley floors and 

 up the streambeds, forming a green center for our cities. 



Mr. DAVIS. I should like to use my time to identify what seem 

 to me two principal requirements for seeing to it that our cities 

 have and hold adequate parks and open spaces, and to suggest a 

 few ways for meeting those requirements. 



The first requirement is to make our urban parks and open spaces 

 places that are worth going to ; that provide fun, sparkle, color, stim- 



