RURAL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT 71 



pared to secure the establishment of village centres with marketing 

 and educational facilities. 



Those who contend that the fixed system of surveying in 

 Canada, in which the land is divided into sections without regard 

 to its quality and character, is at least suitable for level and unbroken 

 country, do not take into consideration, first, the importance of clas- 

 sifying land and arranging the sizes of the divisions according to its 

 suitability for different kinds of farming; second, the need for linking 

 up the homesteads with the village centres, and, third, the importance 

 of the plan of development as distinct from the surveyor's plan of 

 measurement. (Figure 25). 



Another objection to the rectangular system as now carried out 

 is that it forces the sub-division of land and the laying out of streets 

 to follow the cardinal lines of the compass. For purposes of measure- 

 ment this method ensures accuracy, but it adds to the evils caused 

 by the rigidity of the system, in regard to both farm boundaries and 

 building sub-divisions. Lines which run due east and north and 

 have no regard to watersheds and water courses, cause fertile valleys 

 and meadow land to be cut up into awkward shapes and sizes for 

 farming purposes. In regard to building sub-divisions it is undesir- 

 able for purposes of health that buildings should stand squared by 

 the four cardinal points. Building land should be laid out north-east 

 and south-west and north-west and south-east instead of north-south 

 and east-west, which is the worst disposition in which to place build- 

 ings in order to obtain the best distribution of sunlight. (Figure 26). 



Owing to the rectangular system in rural districts being the foun- 

 dation for the checkerboard lay-out of cities and towns it is unfortu- 

 nate that the direction of streets is fixed according to a rule which has 

 no regard to orientation. 



CONCLUSION 



The main points of contention in this chapter are: — That the present 

 system of surveying land for the purpose of securing accurate boundaries to 

 arbitrary divisions and sub-divisions of land, while satisfactory for that 

 purpose, is not a method of planning land, but only a basis on which to 

 prepare planning and development schemes; that no definite or stereotyped 

 system of planning can be satisfactory for general application; that all 

 plans should have regard to the physical and economic conditions of the 

 territory to which they apply and should be made for the general purpose 

 of securing healthy conditions, amenity, convenience and economic use of 

 the land; and that more complete and adequate surveys and a comprehensive 

 classification of land is essential to secure successful and permanent land 

 settlement. 



