GENERAL PLANNING OF A PARK SYSTEM 51 



Knowledge of Existing Park and Recreation Facilities Important. The 

 study should include a detailed record of all existing publicly-owned open 

 spaces, whether controlled by the school board, park board or any other 

 civil division of the municipal or county government. Account should also 

 be taken of recreation areas controlled by the state or Federal Government 

 within the vicinity of the community. 



It can be stated almost as an axiom in planning that few, if any, com- 

 munities in America are actually using to the maximum possible limit the 

 public recreation resources available. 



While some attention should be given to areas and facilities provided 

 by the people through their own initiative, or by persons for commercial 

 purposes, it is doubtful whether these privately-owned areas or facilities 

 will vitally affect the need for a thoroughgoing system of publicly-owned 

 park and recreation areas. 



Zoning. One of the most important factors that has been introduced 

 into laying down a plan for recreation areas in communities is zoning. 

 Zoning may be defined as the outlining of a set of agreements as to the 

 primary use or uses of different sections composing the total area of a city, 

 and the fixing of these agreements legally by ordinance. Through fixing 

 the use or uses to which different sections of a community may be put 

 there is introduced a factor of certainty and stability in planning a park 

 system that earlier planners did not enjoy. In the first place the planner 

 can be reasonably sure that certain sections will be used for residential 

 purposes and he will further know the probable congestion of these resi- 

 dential sections. This vastly simplifies the problems of the planner with 

 respect to selection of sites for future local recreation areas and at the same 

 time stabilizes the continued usefulness of such areas after they have been 

 acquired and developed. Those are factors of such importance that the 

 zoning of a city and the enactment of a zoning ordinance ought really to 

 be made an initial step in planning a park and recreation system, espe- 

 cially with reference to areas primarily of local use and significance. With 

 respect to such areas as stadiums, highly developed athletic fields and 

 bathing beaches, zoning may not be of such fundamental importance, for 

 it is conceivable that they might possibly be located and successfully con- 

 ducted in regions zoned for industrial or commercial purposes, providing 

 topographical conditions, central location and good transportation facili- 

 ties were desirable. 



General Social Conditions. It is now generally admitted that parks 

 and other recreation areas, properly equipped and managed, are important 

 factors in the promotion and maintenance of health, nervous stability and 

 higher standards of conduct among the people. A more or less detailed 



