Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 136, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 June 1915 — PLAN REBUILDING OF RUINED CITIES [ARTICLE]

PLAN REBUILDING OF RUINED CITIES

Belgian Students of Town Planning Urge Use of Modem Methods. AGENTS ARE GATHERING DATA Refugees in London Map Out Task to Begin When Invaders Are Driven Out—3o,ooo Structures Are Destroyed. London. —So confident are Belgians that the German invaders will shortly be driven from their country that plans are now being discussed and drawn up in London for the scientific rebuilding of the devastated towns and cities of Belgium. The idea of rebuilding ruined Belgium upon modern scientific lines was originated by the International Garden Cities and Town Planning association and was enthusiastically accepted by King Albert and the Belgian government, while the British government has bestowed its official blessings on the scheme. A committee called the Belgian town planning committee has been formed, made up of representatives of the various Belgian ministries, the Royal Institute of British Architects, the Institute of Municipal and County Engineers, the Town Planning Association of Great Britain, Belgium, France, Holland, Poland, Russia and Spain. At the first meeting of the committee it was decided that the actual work of rebuilding Belgium should be done entirely by the Belgians themselves, from plans prepared by Belgian architects and engineers, and that the work of the English and other non-Belgian members should be advisory. Obliged to Work Secretly. Each member of the committee pledged himself not to accept any contract or payment for any of the work in connection with the rebuilding. The committee is now devoting its attention primarily to securing a complete civic survey of the devastated towns and cities of Belgium. This work is proceeding slowly but successfully, slowly because it has to be done secretly—right under the eyes of the Germans —and smuggled out of the country piece by piece. The means by which this is accomplished, and who is doing it, cannot be revealed, as it is believed the Germans, if they discovered it would put an effective stop to it at once. It is hoped, however, that within five or six weeks the complete civic survey will have been obtained. Although definite plans are yet to be formed, it is probable that the committee will do much more than provide merely for the rehabilitation of the stricken towns so as to provide homes for the war sufferers. Particularly in England many men who have made a careful study of townplanning methods see in the present an opportunity for the application of modern, scientific ideas. They urge that "cities beautiful" such as have been outlined in miniature world’s fairs and on a small scale-in English garden settlements should be erected on the ruins of the devastated Belgian towns. Must Consult Owners First It is questionable, of course, to what extent these methods can be employed,.for there are the owners of the property to be consulted. One-fifth of the adult population owned their own homes, and the residents of Flanders are distinctly conservative. But it is Inevitable that the new Belgium will be an improvement on the old. Ewart G. Culpin, who is the secretary of the committee and who is well known in the United States through his lectures on town planning, was asked if the committee has decided on any radical architectural or physical changes in any of the ruined towns. He said: “No. but undoubtedly there will be remarkable changes. Belgian cities and towns have grown up in a haphazard sort of way. In the rebuilding Belgian genius will find an outlet in combining the architectural beauties of the Flemish with the physical requirements which are demanded in modern scientific town planning.” Viscount Bryce, who opened the Re-' making of Belgium .exhibition, held in University college, spoke of the ’general project as follows: Viscount Bryce’s Ideas. "Town planning is a comparatively new science in this country. In the middle ages beauty came naturally, men’s minds were full of conception of beauty, and the very irregularity with which .cities were built was an element of picturesqueness which the straight lines which came into fashion in later times could not attain. The task of those who are going to lay out the Belgian cities afresh is to try to combat the beauty which belonged to the ancient cities with the conditions now recognized as being requisite to the health and well-being of large modern communities.” The other work that the committee is doing at present is principally educational Various groups have been formed to study the numerous problems connected with modern town planning. One group is dealing with arterial communications, ethers with types of roads, railroads, street-car I -- ?

lines, subways, canalization, water, gas, electricity, sewers, communal service, police, fire prevention and other state and civic problems. Men who have devoted years to scientific town planning are delivering lectures on each subject as particularly applied to Belgium. At the conclusion of the lecture courses studies and plans will be drawn up, and it is expected that in two months’ time fairly complete plans will have been drawn. At the exhibition at University college the present condition and needs of Belgium were Illustrated and examples of the best work in town planning carried out in other countries were shown. A remarkable collection of old maps showing the development of the old cities and towns of Belgium has been placed at the disposal of the committee, as well as large numbers of photographs showing Belgium before the war and now. 30,000 Structures Destroyed. Particularly tragic are maps of ruined cities and towns, like Louvain and Termonde, where by different colors those parts destroyed and those remaining are shown. From figures received, 30,000 houses and buildings have been destroyed by the Germans since they Invaded Belgium. King Albert is taking the most personal and constant interest in the work, and M. Helleputte, the Belgian minister of agriculture and public works, is in constant attendance at the committee meetings. '