216 PARKS 



sides leaves a greater width of land in one body for parklike treatment 

 uninterrupted by roads. Other things being equal this is very advantageous 

 to those who resort to the central area on foot. And those who use the 

 parkway by automobile at least have an outlook to one side over a wider 

 parklike area, other things being equal, at the expense (if they feel it to 

 be such) of being within immediate sight of the abutting buildings on the 

 other side of them. 



Now we come to the point about border roads or border streets in 

 connection with these various types. Of course in the fourth type men- 

 tioned normally there are no roads except the border roads and no question 

 arises as to their omission or addition. 



That question arises most often and in the most complicated way in 

 respect to parkways of the first type. The prime purpose of this type is, as 

 I have said, that of an elongated park, in which people can drive with the 

 feeling that they are continuously within a park, as distinguished from driv- 

 ing on an exceptionally agreeable street or 'boulevard' lined with buildings, 

 and from driving along the edge of a park as in parkways of the fourth type. 



To accomplish the purpose of a parkway of this first type at all per- 

 fectly usually requires considerable width on both sides of the main drive. 

 Where the total width and the topographic conditions are such that this 

 purpose cannot really be successfully accomplished, it is generally better 

 to recognize that fact frankly and aim at a purpose which can be success- 

 fully accomplished under the circumstances: that is to say, make a good 

 parkway of some other type rather than a poor one of this type. But where 

 this purpose is deliberately adopted, the first concern in regard to the 

 boundaries is that their proximity should not be noticeable to the users of 

 the parkway drive and paths, and that buildings and other objects adjoining 

 on the outside, and obviously not appropriate objects to find within a park 

 (whether excellent in themselves or the reverse), should be hidden from 

 sight as much as possible, together with any obvious reminders of their 

 existence close at hand, such as vehicles and people going and coming to 

 and from them or roads or paths obviously meant for such use. 



Toward that end the first requisite is an adequate screen of parklike 

 aspect between the users of the parkway and any existing or prospective 

 buildings or other unparklike objects which would otherwise be visible 

 beyond the boundary. Such a screen might be a high cliff or wall rising 

 beside the parkway road arid crowned by a few trees or bushes, and such a 

 screen may be absolutely effective without requiring more than three or four 

 feet of horizontal width. It might be formed merely of trees and shrubs 

 unassisted by any natural or artificial differences in elevation of the ground 

 or by any walls or fences. I have known some such foliage screens not ten 



