IN AMERICA

Hokitika Guardian, 21 November 1932, Page 8

IN AMERICA

TALK BY . PROFESSOR SHELLEY

CHRISTCirrRC'H, November 18

An interesting talk was given by

Professor JainesT Shelley at last night's meeting of the Christchurch branch of the To» : n "Planning Institute of New Zealand on his observations ori his recent visit to- ' the United. States of America in connexion with town planning. There was a good attendance, over which Mr A. R. Galbraith presided.

Professor Shelley said thiat his remarks -would be those c;f a sociologist rattier than of a town-planner, as he regarded town pfenning as an. adjunct of sociology. Town planning, unless it took into consideration the growth of the human mind and spirit, might he a 'bad' thing, and it might Le that the “muddling through method,” usually looked upon as a peculiarity of the British, would be the most effective in the end.

Until one visited America one did not realise that it was difficult to generalise about it. They must not think of America as a country of large cities, but a« one of open spaces, and farms, on which, in proportion, mere horses were uised than in New Zealand. He saw more horses in eight mouths in the Unit 1 d States than he had seen in twelve years- in New Zealand. They did nofc realise how far behind some parts of America were 3rd how difficult it. was- to put into practise some of the most efficient of American contraptions in some. of their smlrll communities.

DISAPPOINTING SKY-SCRAPERS. It was from human traits, the wtay that human beings acted, and the desires of human beings, and not with huilcUrgs, that'ttpVri-rihnning organisations should start. The sky-scraper was r.n expression of the American’s cle=ire for big things. They were not necessary for commercial purposes: one-half of them were half emptv; the bieg’st one in New York that he visited was • only let to the extent of 40 per cent., and 1 the rates on it Were being paid, by sight-seers. Some of them were beautiful in certain, conditions of the atmosphere, but they W"re disappointing from 3 visual point of view—^ practically they never looked ‘o.'fj l>;«y as they-are: : they looked better in photography. . One 'got beautifully 'V.ocl-li.ghte'l ■ Viky-scranors, while oil the pavement wag the filthy mules made by people snvttiue- chewinfir-orini. TRAFFIC CONGESTION.

Meter troflrc • speed was roughly 10 to 15 miles an hour fader than in Nh, v zjwfend, frit :ori. Fif-'h Avenue. New York, in the ldfe. moni.ing or in the 'aftemoon v ..one could not. travel at more than three'eW mihs «qa hour. One of the niost ridiculous things was to h<ee inifliors nyd millions’ Worth of mn Fifth Avenue carrying a flaw hnfnan being*®- at three mdefe ...an hour.A'Tf one had 'an' apprintment to keep it was quicker fd walk!