4 PARKS 



make of man the creator, the lover of beauty and the seeker after happi- 

 ness. Modern conditions of living and working tremendously limit the 

 expression and the consequent development of the creative capacities of 

 men and women. The labor process is purely mechanical, requiring little 

 or no exercise of craftsmanship ability. Except for a comparatively few 

 creative organizers modern industry holds little hope for the average worker 

 to find an opportunity for creative self-expression. If his qualities as a 

 creator are not to become atrophied he must find some other channel of 

 expression outside his hours of daily labor. 



Not only in industry but in the home as well have opportunities for 

 creative expression become limited. Homes have become so transformed 

 that most of the creative activities formerly carried on by the housewife 

 and other members of the family are now cared for by communal agencies. 

 Labor-saving devices, while undoubtedly desirable, are often body-weak- 

 ening and creative-limiting forces. 



In limiting the physical activities of children, their opportunity for 

 creative play has also been restricted. To provide opportunity for the 

 development, through actual expression, of the creative powers of chil- 

 dren and adults in this mechanistic age, is one of the most difficult problems 

 in modern life, especially in urban communities. In meeting the problem 

 leisure is the first requisite. The utilization of leisure in creative, construc- 

 tive activities cannot be met through the mere presence of open spaces, 

 except in so far as they provide opportunities for out-of-door activities for 

 children and adults. The development of the creative faculties is largely 

 a problem of organization on the part of park and recreation authorities, 

 and the predominating need is leadership. Certain kinds of facilities are 

 important, but these are merely accessory to leadership. And this need 

 is as great in rural districts as in urban communities. 



To BEAUTY AND ART 



One of the predominating characteristics of American urban com- 

 munities, especially industrial communities, is ugliness. Pathways and 

 roads of wood, stone, brick and concrete have been substituted for wan- 

 dering paths and winding roads through fields and woods; unsightly struc- 

 tures have taken the place of the beauty of forest and field. All the great 

 natural forces which create anew the spiritual qualities of man and have 

 inspired the great masters to express their thought in beautiful forms, are 

 for the most part lacking in the modern city environment. It is here that 

 park planners can render one of the greatest services. The acquisition, 

 preservation and care of large natural areas, the application of the land- 

 scape artist's powers to the creation of beautiful, natural forms in large 



