2 THE DESIRABILITY AND ACQUISITION OF PARKS 



The Economic Need. The policy of delay in the pur- 

 chase of park lands, if it may be called a policy, is certain 

 to be an expensive one. As an example of this may be 

 cited the fact that for three parks covering less than ten 

 acres in the congested portion of the East Side, New York 

 recently paid more than it paid for Central Park, which has 

 an area of 840 acres. As another example, Hudson County, 

 New Jersey, has paid for its parks an average of over $3000 

 per acre, and for some property acquired by condemnation 

 proceedings as high as $23,000 per acre; whereas Essex 

 County, adjacent, has purchased 3000 acres of mountain 

 land at a cost of only $500 per acre. Compelling the 

 present generation to bear the entire burden of purchase is 

 not advocated, but by incurring a bonded indebtedness, 

 the coming generation will bear its share of an expense 

 which, if not incurred now, will increase to such an 

 extent as to render, in many cases, the purchase almost 

 impossible. 



The judicious selection and purchase of park lands and 

 reservations is a far-sighted policy, which like the laying 

 out of wide streets, is sure to be financially profitable in the 

 long run. 



It is a well-known fact to the expert that some of the 

 most undesirable lands from the standpoint of the builder 

 and real estate broker are the very best from the standpoint 

 of the landscape architect. Swampy lands, foul water 

 courses and steep slopes possess great possibilities for park 

 development. A double service is thus rendered pri- 

 marily, the construction of parks secondarily and in- 

 cidentally, the elimination of municipal nuisances which are 

 frequently of a very dangerous character. The foul and 

 unsightly channel and its surrounding lands are trans- 

 formed by the construction of sewers and the proper engi- 



