20 The Annals of the American Academy 



small open spaces that were then sometimes called "squares," some- 

 times "parks," never "playgrounds." It may be it was the cost of 

 these squares compared with the cost of the great parks that made 

 the agitators of the park movement realize the importance of avoid- 

 ing the mistake of former generations in not securing open spaces 

 all around the city before they were built upon. To take a some- 

 what later example, because the figures are at hand, what more con- 

 vincing argument from the economic point of view could be ad- 

 vanced than is offered by 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 in the 

 fifties and sixties. 1 Another example may be taken from Phila- 

 delphia. That city lately condemned for park purposes a triangle 

 of ground, two and a half acres in extent, covered by buildings, at a 

 cost of $400,000, while at the same time a number of organizations 

 were bringing to the attention of the city authorities a tract of 

 ground forty acres in extent, covered by magnificent woods, which 

 could be purchased for five-eighths of that cost, and this woodland 

 is located just at the limit of the built up area of the city. 



The example of European cities in replacing their walls by 

 encircling parks (perhaps the most perfect instance is Brunswick, 

 though Brussels is better known), may have had much to do with 

 the institution of the movement in America. At any rate, in 1893 

 we find the first conscious beginning of the agitation for compre- 

 hensive park systems in this country. This agitation has resulted 

 in ten years in several fairly complete systems, now being repro- 

 duced throughout the country. The city of New York had already 

 five years previously begun the acquisition of the Bronx parks, but 

 that acquisition appears to have been inspired by the same idea, of 

 an outlet for the people to the country, that secured Central Park. 

 The idea that now dominates the movement is that country parks 

 should be preserved on a clearly defined scheme in order that each 

 section of the city, as it develops, may have a wide expanse of park 

 land easily accessible, and that the various parks shall be com- 

 pletely connected by parkways, which shall not only tie them to- 

 gether but link them with residential sections as well. 



1 The official figures for the cost of the land alone are: Central Park, total area, 839.9 

 acres ; cost, $5,028,844.10. Mulberry Bend, Corlear's Hook and Seward Parks, total area 

 9.9 acres; cost, $5,237,363.27. 



