ner or later come to the
time when it must definitely plan the arrangement of its streets and
roads, its public buildings and its open spaces, so as to best serve all
parts of the community. Community planning is as essential to
satisfactory "community housekeeping" as the plan of a house is for the
convenience of the home. An architect is needed to plan a home for the
community, a community structure which is mechanically sound and
efficient and withal both beautiful and comfortable, just as much as for
designing a house. So the art of "town planning" is extending from the
cities to the country and some of our landscape architects who love the
countryside and appreciate its life and problems are giving their
attention to rural community planning.[88]

This is not the place to enter into any extended discussion of the art
of community planning, but we may well consider a few principles which
are essential for realizing the ideals of community development.

As the community center is the nucleus of the community life, let us
first consider the village plan.

One enters the community at the railroad station or by a main road. It
is, of course, impossible to prevent the property adjoining a railroad
from being the least attractive, because it is the most undesirable for
residence purposes; but it is entirely practicable to have a neat
railroad station with well-kept surroundings. Some of our more
progressive railroad companies have perceived that it is good business
to make their stations and grounds attractive and most of them will be
willing to meet the local people halfway in an effort to improve their
appearance. In far too many cases the grounds of the railroad station
and the adjoining properties are the most neglected spot in the village
and give an unfavorable impression of the community. Certainly we would
think a man queer who placed the back-door of his house to the street,
but the railroad station is usually the back-door of the community
instead of the main entrance as it should be. On the other hand, on
alighting at a well-kept station, with a neat lawn, good walks and
roads, which is not surrounded by the village rubbish heaps and
dilapidated buildings, the newcomer feels that here is a place which
invites further acquaintance, while the native has a sense of
satisfaction rather than of apology.

The same principles apply to main road entrances to the village. The
automobile has greatly increased highway