House <y Garden 
COMMISSIONER GUSTAVE LINDENTHAl/s DESIGN FOR THE NORTH RIVER BRIDGE 
government refused an offer from a private 
syndicate to purchase the ground occupied 
by the surrounding walls, feeling that the 
control of their removal and the develop¬ 
ment of this section would not only cover 
the expense but secure a profit. 
We are told by lawyers of ability that in 
this country our legislation is such as to 
make it impossible to condemn more prop¬ 
erty than is needed for the particular im¬ 
provement suggested. If this is true it is 
time that our laws should be changed so that 
we, who claim to be a progressive nation, 
can adopt this successful method for the 
improvement and development of our cities. 
The proper planning of cities is necessi¬ 
tated not only by practical requirements, but 
by political necessity. The recent growth 
of great cities has demonstrated that they 
will exert an all-powerful influence on the gov¬ 
ernments of the countries in which they 
exist. In olden days the statement was 
made that “ As says Paris, so says France,” 
and the time is rapidly drawing near when 
the vote of a great city will be the dominant 
factor in nearly every political situation. For 
this reason, if for no other, our cities should 
be properly considered and properly planned 
and there should be the necessary powers to 
secure that social development without which 
no government can be thoroughly representa¬ 
tive or successful. 
The specific problem, as far as New York 
is concerned, was brought directly to the at¬ 
tention of the authorities by a request from 
the art societies that a commission for the 
consideration of this question be appointed. 
After mature deliberation, the Mayor re¬ 
quested the Municipal Art Society of New 
York to present him with such information 
as it might have or could obtain from other 
public-spirited organizations pertaining to this 
important question. In furtherance of this 
purpose the Society called a conference of: 
The Merchants’ Association of New York, 
The New York Board of 'Trade and 
Transportation, 
The Manufacturers’ Association of New 
York, 
The American Society of Civil Engineers, 
The Architectural League of New York, 
The National Society of Mural Painters, 
The National Sculpture Society. 
These organizations, at the several meet¬ 
ings held, presented most important and in¬ 
teresting data, containing recommendations 
that had been made during the last half cen¬ 
tury, and indicating improvements which, 
from their point of view, were considered of 
vital importance. It was found that no im¬ 
portant effort for the replanning of the city 
bad been made since the “ Gridiron plan ” of 
1807. It was also found that the progress 
of the City had been markedly restricted by 
this unfortunate scheme, and it was felt by 
all consulted that at this time more than at 
any other—now that the five boroughs have 
been brought together in one central govern¬ 
ment—an effort should be made to secure 
a comprehensive and intelligent plan upon 
which the city could develop in the future. 
The legal difficulties confronted in secur¬ 
ing a charter for the Greater City, from the 
fact that it was necessary to consider five dif¬ 
ferent sets of laws, and to select, eliminate 
and modify these so as to make one consist¬ 
ent charter, are similar to the difficulties to be 
encountered by those who undertake the 
question of the modification and rearrange¬ 
ment of the city plan. For each borough, 
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