THE BOULEVARDS. 



115 



would put the " centre of civilization^'' to sliame as regards 

 clean and well planned streets and promenades. 



It is a city of commerce,, and we cannot afford space 

 or money to remodel it^ say some ; but apart altogether 

 from questions of salubrity and appearance, imagine for 

 a moment bow much is lost from mere want of room 

 even in our leading thoroughfares. In many cases they 

 are almost impassable except to those used and com- 

 pelled to force their way through them, while if the 

 pressed pedestrian retires into a cab he may find himself 

 brought quite to a standstill in some busy groove. Wide 

 thoroughfares and free circulation would be found to agree 

 as well with commerce on the banks of the Thames as on 

 those of the Rhone at Lyons. All real improvements would 

 result in a clear gain to the business of a city, as will 

 doubtless be proved ere long by our truly worthy Thames 

 embankment. But the space ? Land is too dear ! This 

 is really not a great difficulty in London. There is no city 

 which could be pierced with free, open roads and boule- 

 vards more cheaply and readily. In its very centre there 

 are acres covered by shallow brick buildings, which have 

 not cost, and do not pay, nearly so much as closely-packed, 

 tall, stone houses in inferior parts of Paris, that are cut 

 through every day almost as freely as if they were made of 

 pasteboard. Regions like that of Tottenham-court-road, 

 most important and well situated for business purposes, are 

 covered by the veriest shanties, which are of comparatively 

 little value. In such places houses to accommodate twice 

 the number of persons might be built, and lodge them far 

 more comfortably than at present, while the streets might 

 be as wide again, and therefore have purer air and more 

 light. "Wide tree-planted avenues might lead from the 

 embankment out towards the pleasingly diversified suburbs, 

 and would act as veins of salubrity to the regions they 

 traversed. The increase in the value of property along such 

 main arteries would repay for the outlay. If land be really 

 so valuable, why occupy it with such trifling and unprofitable 

 buildings ? The fact is, the objection as to space, which is 

 usually urged as the greatest, is no objection at all. Half 



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