The Park Systems of American Cities 
In addition to the 
various proposed 
connecting links the 
establishment of 
small play-grounds 
at such frequent in¬ 
tervals that the 
children can use 
them daily, instead 
of being compelled 
to play in the streets 
or upon the sewer- 
polluted shores of 
the river, is strongly 
recommended. It is 
a distinguishing fea¬ 
ture of the present 
park movement, as 
opposed to that of a 
generation ago, that the importance of these 
small breathing spaces, and places for children 
to play, is not overshadowed by the more 
striking idea of a complete park system, by 
which is usually understood a system of large 
outer parks connected by outlying parkways. 
The year 1875 marked in a general way the 
acquisition of the large country parks of the 
older American cities. Each devoted itself 
exclusively to the acquisition of its one park, 
as New York to Central Park, and Phila¬ 
delphia to Fairmount Park, ignorin 
probably being really 
ignorant of, the impor¬ 
tance of the smaller 
systems. The present 
movement is making 
no such mistake. 
The total area of the 
takings as proposed in 
the Harrisburg plan is 
nine hundred and 
twenty-nine acres, 
which is estimated to 
cost in round figures 
$550,000. This would 
give a park acreage of 
one acre to sixty-five 
population, as against 
Washington’s existing 
one acre to seventy- 
five population, and 
Essex County’s (N. J.) 
one acre to one 
JONES FALLS VALLEY, NEAR MELVALE, MD. 
In a region it is proposed to incorporate in Baltimore'' s Park System 
hundred population. 
In closing his val¬ 
uable report, Mr. 
Manning points out 
how citizens can aid 
in the realization of 
The Town Beauti¬ 
ful, saying : “ The 
work that individ¬ 
uals are doing to 
make their homes 
as well as the city at¬ 
tractive, is well illus¬ 
trated all over the 
city in the use of 
vines, window-boxes 
and flowers.” 
Reference has 
been made to the fact that the park move¬ 
ment is causing a greater appreciation of the 
opportunities presented by the banks of 
streams and rivers. A marked example of 
this is offered by the City of Baltimore, in 
which the park movement is at its inception. 
The report on the proposed park system of 
greater Baltimore, is one of the most valu¬ 
able that has yet been published. A refer¬ 
ence to the map, which reproduces that por¬ 
tion of the proposed system in the immediate 
vicinity of the city, will show how completely 
A VIADUCT AT DINAN, FRANCE 
Compared in Baltimore with the flbnsy-looking and undignified structures which the latter city has 
erected across its 'valleys 
