CIVIC CENTER 
various offices are located near each other. The Eastman Kodak 
Co. would hardly care to have their large plant scattered all over 
Rochester, nor would Mr. Henry Ford make his low-priced cars so 
economically with his factory divided into six or eight units and 
distributed to the four quarters of Detroit. In exactly the same 
way the public business of a town or city should be concentrated 
into the smallest practicable space. 
The esthetic advantages of bringing together the various pub- 
lic buildings of a town or city are even greater. If a city’s public 
buildings are well and harmoniously designed and if they are prop- 
erly grouped and if they are given suitable open space the total 
effect is greatly enhanced. A city with such a civic center has 
something to be proud of, something to incite civic patriotism, some- 
thing to arouse and symbolize a love for ‘‘the home town.” 
Many American cities are making earnest effort for the develop- 
ment of good civic centers. At this moment we may perhaps give 
first place to San Francisco, Calif., but promising beginnings can 
be found in a thousand different municipalities. 
It must be understood, of course, that the smallest villages 
and country districts may, should and do have their civic centers 
just as truly as the great world capitals. Thus a post office, church, 
school and social hall brought together at the country cross-roads 
has the same civic significance as the great masses of big buildings 
along the mall in Washington, D. C. 
Illustrations 
Two illustrations of civic centers are included in this lesson. 
The first is a study based upon existing conditions in Roseville, O., 
made by Mr. Samuel D. Zehrung, landscape architect. The sec- 
ond is an idealized grouping of public buildings at a country cross- 
roads. 
In connection with this lesson the pupil should also consult 
the plan of the court-house square shown on page 180 and the plan of 
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