BEAUTY WITH ECONOMY.

Wairarapa Age, 14 June 1927, Page 4

BEAUTY WITH ECONOMY.

ADVANTAGES OF PLANNING. AN INTERESTING LECTURE. In his lecture on town planning at the Municipal Social Hall last evening, the Director of Town Planning (Mr. R. B. Hammond) dealt with the broad principles of his subject on lines similar to those followed in his earlier address to the Rotary Club, which is reported on page 2. In addition, however, Mr. Hammond dealt with other branches of town planning, and showed a number of interesting lantern slides. The Mayor (Mr. T. Jordan) presided over a moderate attendance. While he made it clear that the main essentials of town planning were an orderly arrangement of traffic streets, zoning, and the provision of adequate open spaces, Mr. Hammond claimed some attention also for schemes of beautification. He threw on the screen pictures which showed that in some New Zealand towns, owing to the past neglect of planning, conditions had arisen that were almost as bad-as those to be found in the slums of great cities in England and elsewhere. In contrast to these he placed pictures of garden cities and suburbs, showing that these were not merely pretty and pleasant places to live in, but were laid out on economical lines, and in such a way as to afford the greatest possible comfort and convenience to their residents. Interesting pictures were shown of the Orakei and Lower Hutt Garden suburbs now being developed in this country. In touching on the question of open spaces, MrJ Hammond urged that every opportunity should be taken of securing land abutting on waterways for public enjoyment. He declared himself of opinion also that children’s playgrounds should if possible be placed at not more than half-mile intervals over the whole of the residential area.