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'RPar/ Ac- f.i COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC HEALTH Housing and Town Planning in Canada By THOMAS ADAMS Town Planning Adviser, Commission oj Consenation Reprinted from the Sixth Annual Report of the Commission of Conservation OTTAWA-I9I5 Housing and Town Planning in Canada lyi R. CHAIRMAN, ladies and gentlemen : The subject of town planning is a very wide one and Canada is a very large coun- try, so that I am afraid I shaU have to take up a considerable portion of your time this morning in dealing with this matter, especially as we have just extended the work of the Commission in connection with housing and town planning. The question has been dealt with at previous annual meetings by Dr. Chas. A. Hodgetts, Medical Adviser to the Commission, in connection with public health work Dr. Hodgetts, as you know, is absent in Europe and I shall have to try to cover in the report which I have to present to you the report of the work during the whole of the past year, as well as to indicate as far as I can the work we contemplate doing in the future. - .^.. . ot Work ^^ *^® ^"* P'^'^* '* ^®^™^ appropriate to review and , - :v e summarize the references to town planning and housing which were made at previous annual ri'. ' of the Commission. . matter seems to have been considered for the first time in the paper on "Unsanitary Housing," submitted by Dr. Hodgetts 1^ ^l^^' J^^ ^^^"^ attention to the existence of slum conditions in Quebec, Ontario, and Manitoba, to difficulties in housing the foreign immigrant population, and to the inadequacy of health laws Town planning was advocated on the lines of Part II of the British Housing and Town Planning Act of 1909. In the report of Dr. Hodgetts, submitted in January 1912 the need for housing legislation was referred to, and attention 'was drawn to errors in Canadian town planning, or rather to the absence of town planning. Dr. Hodgetts summarized the town planning and housing activ- ities m Canada up to 1912, as follows : Passing of Winnipeg Tenement House by-law in 1909 Appointment of the first Winnipeg Town Planning Commission Passing of the Housing by-law in Toronto. T 4 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION Work of Toronto CJvic Gxiild and Montreal Civic Inii: "vement League. Appointment of Parks Commission of Montreal. Planning of Prince Rupert and Port Mann. Work of Ottawa Improvemeni Commission. In 1913. progress was reported in many of the provinces of Canada. Ontario. Manitoba, and Alberta had revised their Public Health Acts. Town Planning Acts, based on the Bntish Act. had been passed by the Provincial Legislatures of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The "City and Suburbs Plans Act" was passed by the Ontario Government for cities over 50,000 in population. Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan had passed Acts to regulate the erection of tenement houses. ^ , . u u „♦ Housing and Town Planning Conferences had been held at Winnipeg and Beriin (Ontario), at which committees were formed having for their object the formation of a Canad-an "Housing and Town Planning Association." It was also advoc ated that the Com- mission should call a lational congress to discuss the subject At the mce.-ng in 1914. Mr. G. Frank Beer read a paper pleadmg for a City Planning Organization. He drew attention to the desir- ability of emphasizing the economic rather than the esthetic side of town planning, and suggested that the Commission should call a Housing and Town Planning Conference each year. He also referred in another paper to the work of the Toronto Housing Compr- v. The late Lieut.-Col. Jeffrey H. Buriand reported on the jeork done by the committee on town planning legislation. On behalf of the committee he repoited that the public were in need of education on the subject, and that the Commission should take steps to make known the practical and economic importance of modem town olanning He referred to the need for a " Department of Municipal Affairs" in each province, under which there should be a Town Planning and Housing Board. The report of the 1914 meeting contains records of the passing of the following Acts* : Quebec— Act to Assist in the Construction of Dwelling Houses in Cities. Towns and Villages. Ontario— Act to Encourage Housing Accommodation m Cities and Towns. Alberta— Act Relating to Town Planning. •See Appendices, Ft) Annual Report, Commission of Conservation. t ii « > C S I N G A N D r ( ) W N P L A \ N I N G I N C A N ADA ^ Dr. Ho(^^;L■tts rt'i)ortt'il on town plunninj; conferences as follows : Nation.'il Town Planning' Conference, Chicu^;o, May, igi.^ : M.issa- chusetts Town Plunninj; Conference, Boston, N'ovember. ii>i,<. He also referred to the Interna nr.''l Conference on Town IManni'ii; at Toronto in May, ii;i4, which was then bein^; planned, and to the desiraliility of fo^min^; a CaiKulian Town Planning and Housinj.; Association. The above outline indic:tes the jjrowin^; interest in in Town p"anifing t"^'" planning' and housing; throu>,'houl the Do- minion and the tendency of public opinion in a direction favoural)le to effective town planning le^;islalion. There has not been much practical accomplishment, but that could hardly be ex])ecled in so short a time, and without adequate legislation. The most advanced town ])lannin>; le^;islation has been pas.sed by the lej^islatures of Xova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Alberta, and in a secondary sense by Ontario. The character and s>(.i)e of the Acts of these jirovinces will be alluded to later. In regard to housing;, the le^jislation of Quebec and Ontario shows most advance and the practical outcome of the latter has been to enable the To- ronto Housinj; Company to carry out useful and admirable housin;,; experiments. The work of Mr. G. Frank Beer in that connection has been ver;- valuable and likely to be of ^reat public service in the future. 1 here is >;reat need for the application of the Provincial Act in Montreal and Quebec, and of the Ontario Act in Ottawa and Hamilton, but no acion has been taken up to the present. I now come to the work of the Commission in con- Du^g 1914 " °^ whh town planning and housinjj during; the p year. Between January and May, IQ14, the Committee on To^'n Plannmjj Legislation completed the preparation of the first Draft Town Planning Act. A ;.;reat deal of thou^rht and time was ^;i\en to the draft and the Commission owed a d'^ot of gratitude to the late Lieut. -Col. Jeffrey H. Burland for his services in the matter. The draft was completed in time for the International Town PlanniuK Conference, which was held in Toronto in May last. It was submitted to tb" conference for discussion, and appeared to meet with approval as . igan's general principles. It was suggested, however, by delegates from the West that their conditions differed from those in the East, and r 4uired different treatment, and also that municipalities should have larger powers of jurisdiction under the proposed Act. Since May, 19 14, the matter has been furtner conr--idered and a revised draft has been prepared, after consultation with Mr. F. II. Gisbome, parliamentary counsel. C O M M I S S r O \ f) F CONS K R V A T I i; \ International Conference at Toronto The Conference held at Toronto in May last was attended by a lar>;e number of delegates from Canada and the Unite, ;> n, "P^' ^'^'i Railway Board under The City and Suburbs Plan Act^ Chap. 43. 2 Geo. V. to supervise the sub- division o/ land within five miles of a city having a population of not ess than 50,000 inhabitants. The Act is of comparativelv small value m securing the proper planning of even the few cities to which it applies. Housing: The Act to Encourage Housing Accommodation in Ctttes and Towns was assented to on May 6, 1913. J page^^."""^ '" ^"" '" *^" ^^'* -^ "'""'' ^'f"'' °f 'he Commission of Conservation. page 2^.°'''^ '" ^"" '" '^' "'"'"' ^""'^ ^'P°'' °f the Commission of Conservation. pagc*2?5.°*"' '" '"" '" ""' ^^'* ^'""«^^'/>''"of the Commi.,ion .f Consen-aliun , Ontario HOUSINGANDTOWNPLANNINGINCANADA II The Act corresponds to and was passed prior to that of the Quebec Legislature, which I have just described. The Toronto Housing Company has been formed to operate under this Act, and has successfully carried through two important housing schemes, regarding which a full report* was submitted by Mr. G. Frank Beer at the fifth annual meeting of the Commission. The value of the company's work will be as much in providing an object lesson in house-building as in providing houses where they are much needed. There is pressing need for additional housing accommodation at rents within the reach of the working classes of Ottawa and it is desirable that a Housing Company should be formed in the capital city to operate under this Act. Manitoba ^*^ ^^^ ^^^ been passed in Manitoba, but a draft Saskatchewan Act has been prepared to be submitted to the Pro- *'^" vincial Parliament in February, 1915, by the Greater Winnipeg Town Planning Commission. There is no Town Planning Act in existence in Saskatchewan, but power is vested in the Highway Board to control subdivisions. A Town Planning Act was passed in Alberta on March 25, 191.?.t This Act generally conforms to the New Brunswick Act, but the Minister of Municipal Affairs has been given powers similar to those vested in the Lieutenant-Governor in Council under the New Brunswick legislation. No Town Planning Act has been enacted, but the Colimibia inspector of municipalities, recently appointed under the Municipal Department of the province, has certain powers of supervision which, however, do not extend to approving subdivisions of land. Certain powers of approving sur- veys of building lots are given to the city engineers and mayors of municipalities, but these can hardly be regarded as exceeding ordin- ary by-law powers in other provinces. Action Taken by Canadian Municipalities In addition to the above legislative powers gradually being obtained in the different provinces, independent action has been taken in several cities. Montreal : In Montreal, as previously reported by Dr. Hodgetts, there has been a City Improvement League in existence for some •See the Fifth Annual Report of the Commission of Conservation, page 116. t Quoted in full in the Fifth Annuai Report of the Commission of Conservation, page 249. 12 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION time, and efforts have been made to secure a plan for the city and the island. Chiefly as a result of its efforts, the Quebec Legislature, m 1910, appointed a Commission to enquire into the need for such a plan and the Commission recommended the appointment of a Metropolitan Park Commission to prepare and to execute plans for a greater Montreal. Later, a joint Social Survey Commission was formed to compile statistics and survey of the needs and conditions of Montreal. Up to the present, however, no definite result has been obtained in connection with these movements. It is desirable that the powirs and name of the Park Commission should be revised so as to make it a Town Planning Commission for the purpo.se of considering the whole question of preparing a com-^ prehensive scheme for Greater Montreal. Ottawa : A Town Planning Commission was appointed by the Federal Government in 1913 to prepare a plan for "a greater Ot- tawa." The report of this Commission is about to be submitted to Parliament. The Ottawa Improvement Commission continues its work ot improving the park system of Ottawa. Winuipeg : The Greater Winnipeg Town Planning Commission was created by the Board of Control of Winnipeg early in 1914 and takes the place of a previous commission appointed in 1911. It is preparing a plan for an area comprising 200 square miles, and is interesting itself in proposals for town planning legislation. I am in correspondence with Prof. Stoughton. the professional adviser of the Commission, with regard to the form of the proposed act. Selkirk : The Board of Trade of the town of Selkirk (3,500 inhabitants) has had a scheme prepared. It appears to be limited in application to the developed area of the town. It has been ap- proved by the municipal council and the Canadian Pacific railway, and an endeavour is being made to secure funds to purchase some of the lands required to carry it out. Edmonton, Calgary, Berlin and Brantford : Plans have been prepared for these cities and their environs, but no definite steps have been taken to give them practical effect. The report prepared for the Calgary City Planning Commission was only submitted in April. 1914. The report is well produced and the Commission seems to have spared no expense or effort in investigating their local conditions and in having a scheme prepared for the future develop- ment of the city. The Brantford report has just been completed. Banff : The Dominion Parks Branch has obtained plans for the lay-out of Banff, and has consulted me with regard to the plans and y I H O U S I N G A N D T O W N P L A N N r \ G I N C A N A D A \3 methods of carrying them out. For this purpose I have paid a short visit to Banff, and have arranged to pav an extended visit in the late spring with a view to making some recommendations to the Parks Commissioner. Vancouver: The Civic Centre Committee of Vancouver re- cently promoted a competition for designs for a civic centre I acted as assessor and made my award after a visit to Vancouver in December. I have also submitted a report on the planning of "greater Vancouver" to the Committee and have recommended that steps should be taken to prepare a topographical map of the large area included in the municipalities of Vancouver. Point Grev New Westminster, and North and South Vancouver. The report IS pnnted in the January issue of Conservation of Life. See Illustra- tion facing page 168. Toronto : A Toronto- Hamilton Highway Commission has been appointed by the Ontario Legislature to carrv out a scheme for constructing a new road from Toronto to Hamilton. The Com mission has appointed Mr. W. A. McLean, Provincial Highway Commissioner, Prof. Laing of Toronto University, and myself as an Advisory Committee. I have attended three conferences at Toronto with regard to this matter. There could be no better way to utihze labour which is temporarily unemploved than in carrying out improvements of this kind, especially when these improvements are part of a well-defined scheme. See Illustration facing page 1.S8. Educatiomd I'^ addition to several private conferences which Krtaken ^^? '''''^" attended, meetings have been addressed as follows dunng the past two months : Toronto, Ontario— Meeting of Toronto Housing Companv. Berlin, Ontario — Public meeting. Washington, U.S.A.-Three addresses at conferences of American Civic Association, an American Institute of Archi- tects, one at meeting of Federation of Women's Clubs, and one at public meeting. Vancouver, B.C.— One address to Canadian Club and two under auspices of Civic Centre Committee. Victoria, B.C.— Address at public meeting. Montreal, Quebec— Address at Canadian Club. In these addresses it has been necessary to emphasize the fact tnat town planning is concerned with all matters connected with the life and growth of a city and that the main obiect of the town plan should be to promote sound and healthy conditions in connection with Its business life and the housing of its citizens. A 14 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION It is desirable to continue and to extend educational work by means of public lectures and addresses, but it will be necess, v to avoid taking up too much time in that direction, in view of the j^reat need there is for giving practical help and technical advice t j those in authority in civic affairs. In a sense the latter is the more im- portant duty, although it needs the assistance of the former to make it eflfective. The education of the public should be carried out by practical demonstrations of town plaiming as well as by theoretical teaching, and with that end in view it is desirable to get as many local authorities and town planning commissions as possible at work, on the right lines, without any unnecessary delay, and to push for- ward the legislative proposals of the Commission. A great deal of publicity work could be arranged to be done through local lecturers, and I think we might, with advantage, set up some organization for that purpose in the near future. Material has been prepared for a special town planning and housing issue of Conservation of Life, published this month, and several articles have been written for other publications with the ob- ject ot educating the public with regard to the right view of town planning. Collection of '^^^ following recommendation was submitted at Maps and the last annual meeting of the Commission by the Committee on Public Health : Reports "That this Commission, having in view the large amount of technical information required for the use of those interested in questions of housing and town planning, and believing that the same should be properly collected and made easily obtain- able everywhere in Canada, arrange at once for the elaboration of the information now on hand and pro\'ide for its extension along the most practical lines." In pursuance of this resolution, which was adopted at the meet- ing, we have been continuing to add to the collection begun by Dr. Hodgetts. Since October last a large number of topographical and other maps and about fifty city planning reports have been collected. With regard to the work which should be taken in Municipalities hand during the current year, consideration has to be given to the difficulties created by the war, and to the financial stringency which exists in the Dominion in connection with municipal aff.'iirs. As already stated, this is a good time to prosecute the work of investigation which should precede town planning and housing legislation, all the more so because of the inactivity in building operations. In the course of carrying on H O U S I N G A N D T O W N P L A N N I N G I N C A N A D A 15 that work, numerous opportunities will arise for Riving advice to municipalities and for educating public opinion by means of work which can be done in this direction alone, and the chief con- sideration will be to do that which is most useful. Municipalities have to be persuaded that proper town planning will result in true economy, and it is part of the work of the Commission to give guidance and information on this point. Exhibitions of ^^^ ^^^'^ "^ education will be greatly facilitated and Plans, Etc. assisted when the Commission has completed its collection of maps, plans, diagrams, etc. A series of diagrams should be prepared, illustrating Canadian conditions. When complete the collection might be permanently housed in Ottawa with such local plans and maps as can be brought together. Arrangements could then be made to lend the collection to the various cities and towns in Canada, and the main collection could be sup- plemented in each place by local maps, prints and diagrams. I have reason to beliove that such an exhibit would be welcomed by the councils of several cities and towns and that they would give space for hanging the collection in the city halls. Among the proposals which were agreed to at the fifch annual meeting of this Commission »..i3 one relating to the organizing of an annual Town Plan- ning and Housing Conference under the auspices of the Commission. The question of whether such a conference should be held in Ottawa during the present year is under consideration. The revised draft of the Town Planning Act is now complete and is being submitted to the provincial legislatures in its approved form. Conferences are being arranged in th- different provinces to discuss such amendments or alterations as may be necessary to make the draft conform to local conditions and legal requirements. Hou^;"); In connection with housing, the investigation and LegUlatiSn'"'* ^^"^^ °^ housing conditions in the Dominion is a matter requiring urgent attention. We need to prepare a draft Housing Act, but before its final form can be settled much information will be required regarding existing conditions. Consideration is being given to the desirability of promoting a housing survey in the largest cities and towns. Such a survey would only be successful in securing adequate information if it included investigation into the methods of subdividing and promoting the sale of real estate, and also into the method of valuing land for purpose of as.sessment. We have before us the British precedent National Conference 16 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION Adjusting Land Values for such an investigation, where the difficulties and cost of making it were much greater than they would be in Canada, and where, in order to arrive at the right conclusions regarding town planning and housing reforms, enquiry had to he made into questions of land tenure, rating and valuation, as well as that of suburban transit. The British investigation was completed last year by a special Committee appointed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The schedule prepared by that committee as the basis for enquiry could easily be adapted to suit an enquiry here, and no doubt assistance could be obtained before we recommend legislation to the provincial governments rather than after we do so, and it is desiraVile that it should be carried out during a period of temporary depression such as we have now. I understand that the Conservation Committee of the N itional Council of Women, and other bodies, would be glad to co-operate in such work, and perhaps some assistance might be obtained from the Survey Department of the Russell Sage Founda- tion of New York. One of the chief difficulties in improving conditions and securing rational town planning will arise from the system of selling, developing and assessing suburban land which prevails in some parts of the Dominion, and which in the matter of feverish speculation has no parallel in the older countries. Apart from that difficulty, our problem should be a comparatively simple one to deal with. The difference between the value of subdivided land in the suburbs and adjacent agricultural land is greater in comparatively small towns on this continent than in more crowded and rapidly growing towns in Great Britain. Such high values encourage unhealthy conditions and tend to create and maintain slums. They help to lower production by keeping large areas of good farming land in idleness round the fringes of towns, and by attracting men off the land during periods of boom. The original owners of the land do not benefit as a whole from these high values as it means that the money which is available for investment in land is invested in restricted areas, and a large proportion goes into the pockets of speculators having no permanent interest in the use of the land. Nor does the benefit of these high values often accrue to those upon whom the heavy burden of local taxation ultimately falls, for the persons or corporations which really benefit get rid of their interest before they are called upon to meet the obligations which follow the subdivision of real estate. The ques- tion of the valuation of subdivided land in the suburbs for rating purposes is rendered complex and difficult and the provision of improved and extended means of transit round cities and towns is 1 Departments of Municipal Affairs H O U S I N G A N D T O W N PLAN N I \ O I N C A N ADA 17 discouraged. On all grounds the matter is one which should he the subject of careful enquiry. At the last annual meeting it was resolved to recom- mend each Provincial Government to create a department of municipal affairs corresponding with certain branches of the Local Government Board of Great Britain, whereby the best expert advice would be placed at the disposal of municipaUtifs, and expenditure on municipal projects and improve- ments would be subject to approval of a central provincial depart- ment. There are departments of municipal affairs in Alberta, Mani- toba and Saskatchewan. The reports of the departments show that they are filling a great need in the municipal administration of the three provinces. In other provinces a system of oversight of municipal affairs has been inaugurated without the organized machinery of a special government department, and i,he general tendency is towards the setting up of such machinery. The Local Government Boards of England, Scotland, and Ireland have become essential parts of the municipal administration in Great Britain. These Boards give local finance a Sijcurity it could not otherwise have ; they authorize loans ,'nd employ skilled inspectors to guide and advise in regard to local improvements, water supply, sewerage, town planning, housing, etc. Many miscakes and waste- ful expenditure would result without this assistance and oversight by the department. All by-laws relating to streets, buildings and sanitation have to be approved by the Board, and alterations can only be made subject to their approval. Such alterations are always made on principle and never on the ground of local expediency. Instead of being an interference with local administration, this s\stem in effect gives added powers to municipalities. So long as a municipality is entirely independent its powers have to be curtailed and its discretion limited, but when its work is subject to the ap- proval of a central department its powers can be gi:^atly increased. Since 1909 the powers of the English and Scotch Boards have been extended to deal with town planning under Part II of the Housing and Town Planning Act. The supervision of the Board is necessary under the Act to secure practical and effective co-operation between adjacent authorities, to provide facilities for arbitration and to enable wide discretionary powers to be given to municipalities which Parliament would refuse to give in the absence of central control. Departments of Municipal Affairs are needed in the provinces of Canada to secure uniformity of administration and procedure, the employment of skilled advisers, the linking up of public health. 18 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION housing, highway, boundary extension and town planning adminis- tration, the proper control of public utilities, the framing and appli- cation of sanitary and other by-laws on sound principles, wider powers to municipahties and the efficient and impartial presentation of municipal accounts. A special committee should be formed by this Commission to frame a draft act which can be submitted to the provincial govern- ments as a model. This is a matter of considerable importance in Canada, especially at the time of difficulty in connection with muni- cipal finance, and in view of the proposed legislation on town plan- ning and housing. Municipal Activity Pendi\g the Passing of Legislation Pending the passing of legislation to facilitate the preparation of town planning schemes there is certain work that can be done by municipalities or bodies of citizens interested in the proper develop- ment of their cities. Steps are being taken to persuade municipali- ties to proceed with this work. Before indicating its nature it is necessary to explain why it is limited to a comparatively small, although very important field. It is not desirable that municipalities or commissions representing groups of municipalities should prepare r ns without first obtaining authority to control the area proposed to be planned, during the time the scheme is being prepared. Power for this purpose is necessary whether it be obtained by a special act to meet the particular case or by a general act for the whole province, such as is being suggested by the Commission. Many cities, par- ticularly in the United States, have had town planning reports and plans prepared at considerable cost and have been disappointed to find, after the work was done, that it was almost impor ible to put the proposals into practice. This may not have been due to any defect in the proposals themselves, but to the fact that the schemes were prepared without the municipality first having obtained power to carry them out and without regard having been paid to the cost and how it could be met. When the right steps are taken and the right order of procedure is followed, it is quite practicable to settle the financial details of the scheme during its preparation, and it has to be borne in mind that every scheme must be capable of being tested from the point of view of its economic soundness. It is not a question of sacrificing ideals or principles ; that need not follow and it is a separate matter. It is a question of the si., .^le necessity of justifying whatever proposals are made on their feasibility from a financial standpoint. H O U S I \ G A N D T O W N PLANNING I N C A N A D A I'» This requires that all town planning schemes, when prepareii. should be accompanied by estimates of the cost of carryinjj themoult To accomplish that result means that the process of preparing a scheme has to proceed alon^j certain definite lines in conformity with lethal practice and that the co-op^>rat; )l owners of land has to be sought before the scheme is completed and not after it is made. M'^reover, it requires that owners shall not have the power to defeat or contravene a scheme while it is in course of preparation. The preparation "f a practical scheme alonj; these lines involves four stages of procedi.re, as follows : 1. Preliminary survey to determine area and obtain map of existing sociological and physical conditions. 2. Obtaining authority to control the area during pre- paration of the scheme so as to prevent any'^hing being done to contravene it or any speculation in values likely to be created by it. 3. Pi-eparing scheme and getting approval by or on behalf of the Legislature. 4. Operating the scheme after it has been approved. Prelimir vy Surveys Essential In a democratic country it is necessary to proceed in the above order and only the first stage can be carried out without legislation. Reasons for this method of procedure are being fully set out in a memorandum which is being prepared for circulation to the municipalities throughout the Dominion, but sufficient has been said to show that the scope for municipal activity pending the passing of legislation is practically bmited to preparing a preliminary survey and map of existing conditions. The preparation of such a map is urgent and of great importance. The customary blue-print showing the streets and subdivisions, and not even dififerentiating between portions built upon and vacant land, is of little value for town planning purposes. The need is for a printed map showing accurately the following details : 1. Existing and approved streets, footpaths and fences, differentiating between those streets actually formed or made and those which have been simply approved by the council. 2. Buildings erected and in course of erection, distinguish- ing between pubHc buildings, factories, residences, etc. 3. Railways, canals, an., other art-"" ' features. 4. Lakes, streams, marshy la id, g trees and other natural features. 20 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION In short, what is required is a map showinj; the existing develop- ment and general physical character of the area in the same way as this is shown on the ordnance survey maps in Great Britain.* The need for such maps for Canadian cities and their environs is all the more necessary because of the extent to which land has been subdivided beyond the hmits of built-upon areas of most cities. With regard to levels, all that is necessary on the preliminary survey map is to show spot levels at frequent intervals along the existing roads, or perhaps along streams and on high elevations. Contour maps, showing precise intervals of level every 5, 10, 25 or more feet, are not necessary at this stage, although in undulating areas they will be required when the scheme comes to be prepared. In any case, the contours shown on the Militia maps (one inch to one mile) at vertical intervals of 25 ft-et are sufficient tor most purposes of general schemes, if transferred to maps prepared on a larger scale. This is a matter which will have to be decided accordim; to local circumstances. When the preliminary survey is compleicd, copies of the map might usefully be employed to show the distribution c ' population and of industries and the traffic conditions of cht city. All that is work which can be profitably carried out without danger, in advance of legislation, hut to go further is to jeopardize any scheme which it is proposed to prepare. For town planning schemes and for general use, apart from pre- cise engineering purposes, it would suffice if the maps were prepared on a scale of 400 feet to one inch.t so that a comparatively large town could be placed on a map of workable size, but for many purposes a scale of 400 feet to one inch, as has been followed in the case of the Baltimore survey, would be more useful. The small scale map of part of the suburbs of Edinburgh, Scotland, — 880 feet to one inch — is a useful map for many purposes, but is not large enough to enable precise areas to be fixed. It shows, however, that even on this small scale the British maps give an almost accurate idea of the character of a district. One of the difficulties in connection with the preparation of such maps is that they require the services of men of special engineering training and experience, and they can only be prepared economically if the work is supervised by soma one who has done similar work before. For this reason it would be of great advantage if some practical means were found to en ')le the Departments of the Do- minion Service which are engaged m preparing survey maps to give assistance to municipalities on terms to be mutually arranged. The * See illustration facing page 172. t See Cincinnati topographical map, facing page 178. H O U S I N CI AMD TOWN P L A N N I N (> I \ C A \ A DA 21 1 I PresemtioD of Treci work could be made to a large extent revenue producing and would be a good investment. In cities in America, where maps have been prepared, it has been shown that they are of great benefit and are worth many times the cost. In Ottawa, I understand, the Federal Plan Commission had to expend about $7,000 for preliminary surveys, most of which would have been unnecessary had an accurate topo- graphical map of Ottawa been in existence. It is one of the objects of town planning to preserve natural features such as trees, and in the older coun- tries it has become an outstanding feature of real estate development on ordinary commercial lines to preserve trees as a profitable asset in connection with the sale of land. One of the most successful real estate enterprises in the United States is that of Roland Park, Baltimore. I asked the president of the Roland Park Company to inform me whether he placed any commercial value on the preservation of trees, and his reply, dated the 12th inst., is as follows : "As to the commercial considerations involved ia the question of saving trees wherever possible, my own judgment, founded upon an experience of over 20 years in this work, is t^at those who buy land from us value large forest trees so much that we can afford to go to very considerable expense in preserving them. I send you some photographs showing cases where we have built retaining walls to avoid making slopes which would have destroyed trees 'ocated on or near the sides of streets. (See illustration.) With the same purpose in "iew, we frequently leave the sidewdk at a le^'ol above or below ; lat of the driveway. I send you a few ph' ■ /graphs illustrating this method of treatment also. "There are a number of advantages secured by the preservation of such trees : The direct value of the tree to the abv.tting lot, its value in the enhancement of the beauty and attractiveness of the street vista, and the variety and interest added to the aspect of the street by the evidence furnished by suf'h a constru :tion that a human problem has been encountered here and recognized, and an effort made to work out iis solution with some degree of care and thought- fulness." I have referred to this matter as I have observed that the point is not appreciated by many who conduct real estate operations in Canada, and even the advisers of the great railway companies who have large areas to deal with appear to lose sight of the commercial advantages of preserving trees, and incur great expense in removing them, to the detriment of their own property. The public loss is still greater, and the matter is one regarding which further education uf public opinion is desirable.