384 Pomona College Journal of Economic Botany 



as conditions may warrant. Planting need not be done immediately, although 

 such action would be ideal ; but there should be an aim in all city planning to 

 provide ample and sufficient park lands in all sections of growth, to serve for 

 future beautification and uplift of those districts. 



For many of the smaller towns a single city block affords ample provision 

 for the immediate and near future needs of the people. This, if planted and 

 cared for, will be a source of investment to the city to be considered as capital 

 stock of interest bearing value, because of its influence in attracting outsiders 

 to the community and because of the civic pride and enthusiasm which it 

 instills into the hearts of those who have created and are supporting it. It 

 will pay its own way from the start, if only as an advertisement. 



Central Park, in Los Angeles, is an example of such a city block given 

 over to park purposes in the infantile stage of growth of the city, when there 

 seemed no great, pressing need of such a step. Because of the city's magnitude, 

 the value of Central Park to the civic health and welfare cannot now be 

 estimated. Were the park many times its present size and still of such easy 

 access from the business district, it would have many times its present value. 

 It probably has more pedestrian visitors per square foot of its area than any 

 other two or three of the city's abundant park reservations, excepting the 

 Plaza. Its greatest good comes from the fact that it is restful to the tired eye 

 of the passing worker, from the fact that it is of easy access to those who need 

 its cheering influence, and from the mere fact that it affords a change from 

 the glare and noise of the bustling city. 



The larger parks, located in the outskirts of the city, are inaccessible and 

 therefore of least value to those who would derive the greatest benefit from 

 their use, as it is the person who lives on the pavement and has nothing to draw 

 him out, or who has not the means to take an occasional outside holiday, who 

 is in the greatest need of that influence created only by nature's green out- 

 of-doors. The above cites one instance in which a relatively small town 

 reserved a city block near the center of its business district, for park purposes 

 and the future welfare of the community. 



The Plaza in Los Angeles is another instance of a small city square doing 

 a great good, and is situated in a district where it can be most enjoyed by 

 those in the greatest need. The fact that Central Park and the Plaza are the 

 most populous parks in Los Angeles, speaks well for their location and for 

 the public service which they render. 



Again citing the instance of the small town — we have proceeded to so 

 advanced a stage that it is a small town indeed, that does not have ordinances 

 controlling the play of children in the streets. Even though there be no such 

 ordinances, streets are manifestly unfit for playgrounds. Every child should 

 have access to spacious grounds for play, and every ideal city should provide 

 such privileges. Where a municipality has only one or two small parks, they 

 should not be given over entirely to this one phase of recreation, but they 

 might have sections where young America could run and play, could enjoy the 

 shade of real trees and become acquainted with flowers. Play under such 

 conditions is natural, as nature intended, and is to be highly encouraged. 



