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 CORNELL 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 COLLEGE OF 
 
 ARCHITECTURE 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
Cornell University Library 
 NAC 6827 .Ak7A7 
 
 City plan for Akron / 
 
 3 1924 024 412 425 
 
The original of this book is in 
 the Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924024412425 
 
J^Can prepared ybf 
 
 Akron 
 Chamber ^^^ Commlrce 
 
 City Impro\-i:ment CoMMriTEE 
 Frank H. Apam.s, CKau>inan 
 
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City Plan for Akron 
 
 Prepared for 
 
 Chamber of Commerce 
 
 By 
 
 John Nolen^ City Planner 
 1919 
 
 -s.y, 
 
AKRON CHAMBER OF COMlNfERCE 
 
 EiMEB E. Workman, President 
 Vincent S. Stevens, Secretary 
 
 CITY IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE 
 
 Frank H. Adams, Chairman 
 Harry E. Andbess 
 George W. Grouse 
 Frank H. Mason 
 Clarence I. Bbuneb 
 
 COPYKIGHT, 1919, BY 
 AKBON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 
 
Akron Chamber of Commerce City Improvement 
 
 Committee 
 
 To the Members of the Akron Chamber of Commerce: 
 
 Your City Improvement Committee, through the courtesy of its chair- 
 man and largely at his personal expense, is pleased to submit herewith 
 a report, City Plan for Akron, prepared by John Nolen of Cambridge, 
 Massachusetts, one of the best-known city planning experts in this country. 
 
 Akron, since its establishment as a village in 1836 and its incorpora- 
 tion as a city in 1865, has grown to a population of about 175,000 without 
 any thought as to its proper development. It therefore lacks the proper 
 thoroughfares for adequately handling the traffic of such a city ; it lacks 
 adequate parks and boulevards; it is without a civic center, and no thought 
 has been given to the laying out of its industrial and business districts nor 
 the protection of its residential sections. 
 
 The plan herewith submitted, if adopted by the city and supported by 
 the cooperation of our citizens, will provide remedies for these conditions 
 and for a proper future development of our city. 
 
 The report at first glance may seem somewhat too difficult of at- 
 tainment, but the Committee believes a careful reading will prove that, 
 notwithstanding it may call for the expenditure of considerable sums of 
 money, such expenditures will be wisely made if spread over a period 
 of years. The Committee recommends the adoption of the plan with 
 the thought that it can be modified from time to time as may be neces- 
 sary through changing conditions in this city. 
 
 This report is prepared with the purpose of submitting it to the general 
 membership of the Chamber of Commerce, and when approved by it, 
 presenting it to the City of Akron through its City Planning Commission 
 for final adoption by the City Council, to be put into effect as rapidly 
 as conditions will allow. 
 
 With such a plan adopted the city can grow along lines of well- 
 ordered development during the coming years if our citizens take an 
 active interest in carrying forward these improvements, and Akron will 
 then become a city of which all our people may be proud. 
 
 The City Planner takes this opportunity to express his thanks to the 
 numerous city officials and others for their cordial response to his requests for 
 information and assistance. The period occupied in the preparation ofc the 
 local survey and the planning studies has been lengthened by the inevitable 
 delays due to the war. He was of the opinion that nothing would be gained 
 by presenting the report to the pubKc until more normal conditions were 
 restored. The present, however, is a most favorable time for action, and 
 Akron has the satisfaction of being the first city in the country ready with 
 a completely worked out city-planning reconstruction program. 
 
 Respectfully submitted, 
 
 Fkank H. Adams, Chairman, 
 H. E. Andress, George W. Grouse, 
 G. I. Bruner, Frank H. Mason, 
 Akbon Ohio City Improvement Committee. 
 
 April 25, 1919 
 
Contents 
 
 Civic Survey Page 
 
 Topographic Map 11 
 
 Railroad and Industrial Properties ... 13 
 
 Industrial Properties — Key Map ... 15 
 
 Curve of Population 17 
 
 Distribution of Population 19 
 
 Present Building Distribution 21 
 
 Land Values 23 
 
 Public Utilities 25 
 
 Public and Semi-Public Properties ... 27 
 
 Existing Parks 29 
 
 School Map 31 
 
 City Map 33 
 
 Planning Studies 
 
 General Plan .... 37 
 
 Main Thoroughfares 39 
 
 Planning for the Down Town District 45 
 
 Page 
 
 Proposed Parks 51 
 
 Zone Plan 57 
 
 Housing 
 
 Housing in Relation to City Planning . 63 
 
 A Brief Survey of the Law Relating 
 
 TO THE City Plan for Akron .... 71 
 
 81 
 
 84 
 
 Appendix 
 
 List of Planning Studies Presented Earlier 
 
 List of Maps . 
 
 City Planning Authority for Akron . . 
 Requirements for Plats of New Allot- 
 ments 86 
 
 Industrial Plants in Akron 88 
 
 Range in Land Values 90 
 
 Financial Statistics 91 
 
 List of Plans 
 
 Page 
 
 General Plan Inside front cover 
 
 Topographic Map 10 
 
 Railroad and Industrial Properties .... 12 
 Industrial Properties — Key Map .... 14 
 
 Curve of Population 16 
 
 Distribution of Population 18 
 
 Present Building Distribution 20 
 
 Land Values 22 
 
 Public Utilities 24 
 
 Public and Semi-Public Properties .... 26 
 
 Page 
 
 Existing Parks 28 
 
 School Map 30 
 
 City Map 32 
 
 General Plan 36 
 
 Main Thoroughfares 38 
 
 Union Station and Civic Center 44 
 
 Proposed Parks 50 
 
 Zone Plan 56 
 
 City Map Inside back cover 
 
Civic Survey 
 
Vfcu2 prepared /or 
 
 Akron 
 
 Chamber ^f Commerce 
 
 Crri' Impro\'ement Committee 
 TcANK H. Adam^, Chairman 
 
 /i^jg^^moSQ Cambridge ^£^^s. 
 
 TOPOGRAPHIC 
 TVIAP 
 
 DIAGRAM 
 
 Con/o i/rj- accort/j'/i e 
 to /?ecorc/oc/ ^S/reet 
 
 
 10 
 
Topographic Map 
 
 ^T^HE contour map serves to bring out in a clear, diagrammatic way, as 
 -^ nothing else does, the chief features in the Akron district. In appear- 
 ance Akron has been likened to an eagle with wings outspread. The head 
 is represented by North Hill, a residential section, the body by the down- 
 town business section. East Akron, one of the wings, is a residential and 
 factory section, and West Hill, the other wing, the best residential section. 
 South Akron, representing the tail, is the great industrial district. 
 
 An examination of the Topographic Map will disclose the main physical 
 features of the city. To the north is the Cuyahoga River, with its gorge, 
 while the city proper is divided into three hill units by the valleys of the 
 Little Cuyahoga and the Ohio Canal. North Hill rises to an elevation of 
 about 230 feet, which is approximately 190 feet above the river and 100 feet 
 below West Hill and East Akron, whose elevations are close to 330 feet. 
 The uplands extend back indefinitely to the east and west, but to the north 
 we have the narrow valley of the Cuyahoga with its rough and broken sides, 
 and to the south the open country of the Portage Lakes. 
 
 The river valleys are deep and steep-sided, forming natural walls that 
 prevent the easy extension or merging of the developed areas. This is 
 particularly true of the business district of Akron, which is unfortunately 
 shut in by steep slopes on the north, west, and east. This wall-like eflfect is 
 reflected in the steep grades that occur on many of the streets leading from 
 the center of the business district. North Howard and Quarry Streets fur- 
 nishing good examples. The city already has under definite consideration 
 the construction of two viaducts whose purpose is to provide an easy outlet 
 from the business center to the residential hills across the valleys. 
 
 11 
 
Railroad and Industrial Properties 
 
 T^HE railroads and, because of the facilities they afford, the industries 
 -■■ also have followed the valley lines through the city and in addition 
 have crossed the city on the higher level, rounding East Akron hill and cross- 
 ing to North Hill above the deep part of the river bottom. 
 
 The result is that the entire central section of the city is bound in by 
 railroad and industrial properties, a situation still further complicated on 
 the east by the Akron, Barberton Belt Line with its adjacent manufacturing 
 plants. This area between the main lines and the Belt Line is at present of 
 a mixed character with practically every class of occupancy represented. 
 The permanency of the railroads will in all probability draw in here, as the 
 city grows, other factories and industrial concerns, so that this area will 
 undergo a continuous change tending toward an industrial and low-cost 
 housing use, with retail business property along the main streets. 
 
 The other new possibility for industrial expansion, besides the use of 
 blocks now adjacent to existing factory properties, is in the Little Cuyahoga 
 Valley along the Baltimore & Ohio right of way. 
 
 A glance at the wind charts shown on this same plan will demonstrate 
 the unfortunate relation of the industrial areas to the city center. For the 
 greater part of the year the wind is from the south and southwest and 
 carries a continuous draft of smoke and dirt over the business section of 
 Akron, causing the city to appear dingy and bringing great loss to store- 
 keepers and merchants. 
 
 Incidentally the wind charts explain one of the reasons why West Hill has 
 become a high-class residential section with the best houses in Akron located 
 on the higher land there free from smoke. 
 
 13 
 
jyfan prepared /or 
 
 Akron 
 Chamber ^^ Commerce 
 
 *^iTY iMPRovKiE-siT Committee 
 TeaVK H. Adams, Chairman 
 
 John IVol£.\ Ciry- Pi.\.\?\'EJi 
 
 CiTV OF ,^^ A.KRON 
 
 Summit Couts't^- '%ZII^^' State of Ohio 
 
 MUXTPIAL PPOPEETES 
 
 KEY MAP 
 
 and Chamcier of Produci 
 
Industrial Properties — Key Map 
 
 WHILE Akron manufacturing plants turn out a great variety of articles 
 ranging from ice-cream cones to automobiles, the three largest groups 
 of industries are those engaged in the manufacture of rubber goods, clay 
 products, and cereals. 
 
 The biggest capitalization is in the rubber industries. They have approxi- 
 mately 58,000 employees, mostly skilled and semi-skilled workers whose 
 pay is such as to permit them to afford comfortable homes. Some of the 
 larger plants are badly cramped for room in which to expand. This is due 
 partly to the sites selected when these industries were small, partly to their 
 own expansion, and partly to the rapid growth of the city itself, which has 
 closed in upon them from every direction. The clay -products concerns, on 
 the other hand, own large acreages, which will be worked out eventually 
 and will then revert to other uses. This fact should be kept in mind in the 
 establishment of proposed zones and in other future developments. A full 
 list of the Industrial Plants in Akron is printed in the Appendix. 
 
 15 
 
CLRVE OF POPULATION 
 
 CITY OF AKRON 
 
 1850 
 1860 
 1870 
 1880 
 1890 
 1900 
 19 LO 
 
 1920 
 1930 
 1940 
 1950 
 
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 of Com/nerce 
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 3266 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 16 
 
Curve of Population 
 
 nPHE United States government census showed that in 1850 Akron had a 
 -■■ population of 3266. After the Civil War the westward flow of immigration 
 from eastern cities was reflected in the census returns for Ohio's cities. 
 Akron shows a steadily increasing growth until 1910, when, due to the rapid 
 development of the rubber industries, which in turn was the result of the 
 extraordinary expansion of the automobile business, the population took a 
 much sharper rise, as indicated in the diagram showing the curve of popula- 
 tion. The variation in the rate of increase in population is brought out 
 sharply by comparing the two periods from 1880 to 1910 and from 1910 to 
 date, 1919. In the first, a period of thirty years, the increase was from 
 16,512 to 69,067, an annual gain of 1751, or a total increase of 318 per cent. 
 In the second period, the increase has been extremely rapid, and the popula- 
 tion has risen from 69,067 in 1910 to 175,000 in 1919, an annual gain of about 
 10,000, or to put it another way, the population has more than doubled in 
 the short period of nine years. Predictions as to the future are based on 
 the average of the years included in these two periods which will probably 
 more nearly approximate the normal conditions. 
 
 Akron is still growing in population very rapidly, yet it is safe to say 
 that unless new industries of large size locate at Akron the present rate of 
 increase of population may not keep pace with that of the last few years. 
 The return of peace conditions with the inevitable readjustments will be 
 one of the factors operating to upset predictions as to the probable growth 
 of Akron. However, by taking the average yearly increase for the last two 
 decades as the index of probabilities, it seems reasonable to assume that 
 Akron will at least have passed the 200,000 mark by 1921 or 1922. 
 
 Although the future cannot of course be absolutely predicted, still the 
 figures given in the diagram are a good basis for planning future city improve- 
 ments, especially those of a more permanent character, such as sewer and 
 water mains, thoroughfares, parks, and car lines — improvements that not 
 only have to meet the requirements of today, but also those of the future. 
 
 17 
 
Distribution of Population 
 
 n^HE diagram of the Distribution of Population shows the relative density 
 -'■ of population as indicated by the city directory and school census. One 
 dot is used to represent every twenty -five persons of the population. The 
 relative density is shown for those areas only which lie within the 1916 city 
 boundary. Figures covering the important outlying areas are unfortunately 
 not obtainable. 
 
 This diagram is of value in connection with street planning, the best dis- 
 tribution of schools, playgrounds, parks, etc., also in fixing the locations of 
 the proposed building zones. 
 
 Largely because of the type of industries in Akron the class of labor 
 employed has been such as to produce relatively good housing conditions 
 so far as a density of building goes, and it is only in a few scattered localities 
 that unhealthful, crowded, slum conditions prevail. This absence of bad 
 houses on any considerable scale is indicated by the even distribution of 
 population, which is in marked contrast to the ordinary industrial city. 
 The fact that this condition exists today in Akron is not, however, a guar- 
 antee that it will continue, and if the experience of other cities is a guide, 
 the crowded areas of the present cannot be too carefully guarded and 
 improved. 
 
 The organized housing operations in Akron already completed or under 
 way in connection with large industrial concerns are doing much to prevent 
 the usual bad conditions, not only by actually relieving the great demand 
 for homes, but also by setting a good example for others to follow, and by 
 raising the standard that other builders must to some extent meet. Akron's 
 greatest need perhaps is more houses of desirable types for rent. These 
 iare not likely to be obtained except through the organization of a housing 
 company representing the business interests of the city generally. A special 
 report on this subject has already been presented by the City Planner to 
 the committee in charge. 
 
 Akron is practically free from the three-decker and tenement-row type 
 of building, which produces the congested, overpopulated city district, 
 and by positive legislative oversight can keep under control all such de- 
 velopments. 
 
 19 
 
Present Building Distribution 
 
 THE diagram of Present Building Distribution shows by different legends : 
 (1) the business districts, also scattered stores; (2) large-lot residences; 
 (3) normal-lot residences; (4) small-lot residences. This diagram is one of 
 the most important foundations for the plan showing proposed building 
 zones, with which it should be later compared. 
 
 The present central business area of Akron is badly handicapped as to 
 possibilities of expansion by the bluffs to the north, the railroads and steep 
 grades to the east, the canal and valley to the west, and the railroads and 
 factories to the south. The result has been a cramped business district of 
 high values, as illustrated on the accompanying plans, with relatively long 
 lines of business properties following out the principal streets, notably 
 Main Street itself and Wooster Avenue. This scattered business district is 
 supplemented by store groups at important intersections such as the Five 
 Points at Maple Street and West Exchange Street, Chalker's Landing at 
 Howard Street and Cuyahoga Falls Avenue, with a larger area along East 
 Market Street in East Akron. 
 
 An opportunity quite unique in its way for an expansion of the business 
 district exists across the canal at Exchange Street. Here are level land, broad 
 streets, and relatively low-cost present development, good car service, and 
 easy access to the central business district. By bridging the canal and 
 special treatment of the area between Main Street and Water Street, which 
 could be done at reasonable cost, these two sections could be made a 
 single unit. 
 
 There are at present a few residential sections of the city which will shortly 
 become slums, if not carefully restricted or definitely. rebuilt. In practically 
 all cases these settlements are on more or less undesirable building property 
 which is topographically unfavorable or adjacent to railroads or industrial 
 properties. By careful planning and building these areas can be successfully 
 redeemed. 
 
 Aside from two or three scattered localities of limited extent, the main 
 and first-class residential district is in the West Hill section, and with proper 
 regulation there is fortunately ample room for its expansion out from the 
 city westward. 
 
 To the northeast there is a large area almost entirely unoccupied at 
 present, notwithstanding the fact that it is only a short distance from the 
 heart of the city as compared with other residential districts. This is due 
 mainly to the lack of direct radial street connections, owing to the steep 
 bluffs along the valley to the northeast of the city's center and to the location 
 of the steam railroads. Forge Street, the one straight lead in that direction, 
 is closed to vehicular trajBSc by the railroad. Consideration should be given 
 at once on ways of opening up this territory for residential use, thus making 
 it a part of the desirable residential area of the city. Car-line extensions as 
 suggested at either East Tallmadge or Case Avenue would do much to 
 accomplish the desired result. 
 
 21 
 
Land Values 
 
 \ 
 
 ^T^HE diagram of Land Values shows approximate locations of various 
 -'■ zones figured on the front-foot basis as follows : — 
 
 1. Over $1000 4. $60 to $100 
 
 2. $500 to $1000 5. $30 to 
 
 3. $100 to $500 6. $10 to 
 
 These values are based on figures supplied by the Board of Assessors, 
 supplemented by the best local real estate authorities. This chart is of 
 direct use in connection with practically every feature of city planning. It 
 applies directly to the selection of parks and other public properties, to the 
 establishment of proposed building zones, and to the distribution of various 
 types of homes. 
 
 Due in part to the congested area of the business district, the land values 
 in Akron have reached extremely high levels, running well over $1000 per 
 front foot and in some cases over $5000 per front foot. The highest-priced 
 land is $7000 per front foot. The high-priced real estate then radiates from 
 the center, following the business properties along the main streets and 
 including the adjacent residential property soon to be converted to business 
 use. Land for this purpose ranges from $1000 per front foot down to $100. 
 
 Adjacent to these areas are others occupied by a high grade of residential 
 property whose value in some cases is due to the intrinsic value of its present 
 use as on West Hill, and in others to the future possibilities of the location 
 for other uses. Such a condition, for example, is shown on either side of the 
 store groups at Chalker's Landing. 
 
 The great bulk of the residential area falls within the fifth class, ranging 
 in value from $30 to $60 per front foot. By comparing the Land Value map 
 with the Public Utilities diagram it will be observed that this residential 
 area coincides very closely with the area supplied with water and sewer 
 service. Outside of the public-service zone the values drop sharply to the 
 sixth class, namely, from $10 to $30 per front foot. A considerable part of 
 this land is still to be had at relatively low cost, within only a short distance 
 of the heart of the city, and, if given public utilities, it could be developed 
 for relatively low-cost homes before a rapid rise in land values. 
 
 Along the Little Cuyahoga River is an area whose value has not yet been 
 assigned. This land is not suitable for housing, and without control is likely 
 to develop in a way detrimental to the best welfare of the city. Here is an 
 opportunity for Akron to obtain low-priced land centrally located and 
 peculiarly suitable for public park and recreation purposes. There is also 
 along this valley land with railroad facilities that could b^ easily adapted to 
 industrial uses. For table showing range in Land Values, see Appendix. 
 
Pia/3 prep<ired for 
 
 Akron 
 ChAMBEii '^^ Commlrce: 
 
 Cm' Improvemewt Committee 
 FbANK H- Adams. Chairman 
 
 MAJ^vAJiD Sq Cambridge Mass. 
 
 C ITV OF 
 
 Summit County '^ 
 
 PUBUC UnUTlES 
 
 DIAGRAM 
 
 3/iow/r}^ j/rec^ car /incs 
 
Public Utilities 
 
 THE Public Utilities diagram shows sti*eet-car lines and areas supplied 
 with water and sewer service. 
 
 The public utilities in Akron have kept pace fairly well with the develop- 
 ment and expansion of the city, the chief need being the extension of water 
 and sewers into the North Hill and to the northeast and southeast sections. 
 To the west much new building is going on, and extensions will have to be 
 made there shortly, although a large part of the new area is outside the 
 present city limits. 
 
 The water system has a length of mains of 235 miles, the sewer system 
 187 miles. There are 160 miles of paved streets. As is usual in American 
 cities, sewer and water systems are publicly owned. The proposed plans 
 for the extension of the water service will make it one of the best in the state. 
 The supply of gas and electricity is in private hands, the former being 
 provided by the Eastern Ohio Gas Company, and the latter by the Northern 
 Ohio Traction and Light Company. 
 
 No single feature in a city's development is more important than that 
 of transportation. Therefore great interest attaches to the location and 
 extension of the car lines. The existing lines have been shown on the survey, 
 both single and double track, and also proposed extensions. The existing 
 lines covering 40 miles in length provide very well for the older parts of the 
 city. Extensions are greatly needed, and a special report on this subject 
 was submitted with a special diagram to illustrate. By taking the initiative 
 in the matter of installing public utilities the city could accomplish much 
 for backward districts and exercise a salutary control over the development 
 of the city as a whole. 
 
 Interurban trolley lines connect Akron with all the important neighboring 
 cities, through cars being maintained with Cleveland, Massillon, Canton, 
 Kent, and Ravenna. 
 
 25 
 
'pCctii prepared ybr 
 
 Akron 
 
 Chamber *j^ Commerce 
 
 Crry Improvement CwiMnTEE 
 Frank H. Adams, Chairman 
 
 John Noleiv CrryAAJVNEK 
 
 City of 
 
 Akron 
 
 Summit County ^^l!^^ State of Ohio 
 
 PlBLIC-StMIPUBLIC 
 PROPERTIES 
 
 DIAGRAM 
 
 iS/towipy the 'iic/utii f 
 locations and Arec/^ 
 
Public and Semi-Public Properties 
 
 T IKE all progressive modern cities Akron has outgrown a number of its 
 ■L^ public buildings and very shortly will be faced with the problem of 
 providing new ones. In most cases it is a question of providing a new site 
 also, the old property being large enough only for present purposes. In 
 selecting new sites ample land should be acquired to care for the future, and 
 the location should be such if possible to allow for a well-planned grouping 
 of buildings, thus obtaining those benefits which come from a permanently 
 established center. 
 
 The present railroad station in Akron is entirely inadequate and poorly 
 located for the present traffic and express business which it is called upon to 
 handle. It is to be replaced within the next few years by a modern Union 
 Station whose location will do much to influence the future business growth 
 of Akron and will be an important factor in determining the location of 
 future public buildings. 
 
 The existing post-office building is already too small for the present city, 
 and as the lot on which it stands is inadequate for the proposed building, a 
 new site has been purchased further out on East Market Street. This new 
 location in our judgment is not convenient to the business area, and the 
 probable removal of the railroad station will make it still more inconvenient. 
 Another objection is its lack of relation to other public buildings and the 
 resultant loss. 
 
 The library, city hall, and market are all old buildings, and should be 
 rebuilt within a few years. The present sites are neither desirable nor ade- 
 quate. Here is an opportunity to start a grouping of public buildings in 
 Akron that would be the beginning of a creditable civic center. The city 
 hospital is soon to be enlarged, and when this is done, it would be advisable 
 to acquire more property and carry out at the same time some much-needed 
 street extensions, which depend upon the replatting of this land to be 
 acquired. 
 
 The Sumner Home for the Aged is now too close within the built-up 
 sections of the city to serve its purposes as well as formerly. This property, 
 however, is well located and suitable in character for local park and recreation 
 purposes, and this use of it should be considered just as soon as the removal 
 of the Home takes place. 
 
 Another privately owned property now used for recreation which should 
 be kept in mind for possible public acquisition is the Portage Country Club. 
 The history of many other country clubs has been that as soon as the city 
 grows beyond the club, new and more suitable lands are purchased for the 
 purpose, and the old site is sold and subdivided. There is no large park in 
 this part of West Hill, and the Country Club property offers one of the best 
 opportunities for future use. 
 
 27 
 
P^an prepartd /or 
 
 Akron 
 Chamber •j^ Commerce 
 
 City Impqcpvement Committee 
 
 Frank H. Adams, Chairman 
 
 Ac 
 
 John Nolbn CiryAANNBJi 
 
 City of 
 
 Summit County 
 
 Akron 
 
 State of Ohio 
 
 EXISTING PACKS 
 
 DIAGEAM 
 
 SlumlitfS>uillc aatlStmlfiii/lc 
 Artaa uatd fir ^ek 
 
 28 
 
Existing Parks 
 
 THANKS to the location of such private or semi-public parks as those in Good- 
 year Heights and Firestone Park, Akron has some form of recreation in nearly 
 all parts of the city. The list of public parks follows : 
 
 Christy Park, West Market Street and Rose Avenue, Neptune Park, Market and Valley Streets, .43 acre. 
 
 .12 acre. Oasib Park, Market Street and Glendale Avenue, .06 
 Elizabeth Park, East North Street, 23.50 acres. acre. 
 
 Glendale Park, Cherry Street and Glendale Avenue, Perkins Park, Edgewood Avenue, 76.44 acres. 
 
 6.40 acres. Perkins Square, Exchange and Bowery Streets, 2.50 
 Grace Park, Project, Park, and Perkins Streets, 7.07 acres. ^ 
 
 acres. Pleasant Park, Thornton, Washington, and Grant 
 High Bridge Park, Cuyahoga River at High Bridge, Streets, 4.99 acres. 
 
 46.67 acres (approximately). Portage Park, Exchange Street and Rose Avenue, 
 Highland Park, Highland Avenue and EdgertonRoad, 3.38 acres. 
 
 .20 acre. ' Margaret Park, South Street and Manchester Road, 
 
 Hill Park, Market and Broad Streets, .24 acre. 43.28 acres. 
 
 McLain Park, Howard Street and Cuyahoga Falls Union Park, Mill, College, and Forge Streets, 1.35 
 
 Avenue, 2.08 acres. >- acres. 
 
 Marian Park, Howard and Cuyahoga Streets, .21 Watershed Park, Marvin Avenue, .08 acre. 
 
 acre. Total — 219 acres. 
 
 The area of existing parks for Akron is inadequate for the present, to say nothing 
 for the future, and there is no recognized system for local parks, playgrounds, or 
 large outlying reservations; nor are the existing parks and recreation areas devel- 
 oped to the standard that should be the aim of a city of the size and prosperity of 
 Akron. 
 
 As a city grows in population, park lands should be acquired in advance for every 
 new residential section that is opened up for settlement. A recognized minimum 
 ratio between population and park area is one acre of park for every two hundred 
 of the population; or another safe ratio is approximately ten per cent of the total 
 city area. Thus assuming that Akron will be a city of at least 200,000 in 1922, as 
 shown by the curve of population, the park system should at that time be approxi- 
 mately a thousand acres. As a basis for such a park system, the diagram submitted 
 shows that the existing public parks comprise in all only about 219 acres. Parks 
 still in private ownership cannot be credited to the city until dedicated, and should 
 not be relied upon unless it is definitely determined that they will always be avail- 
 able for public use. 
 
 By acquiring park land in advance the city effects a decided saving in first costs, 
 obtaining the land at acreage prices. It also is able by such action to preserve 
 beautiful, naturalistic features in their entirety. Furthermore, this method of 
 early selection furnishes a wider choice as to character and location, which is largely 
 lost if purchase is delayed until the residential development has taken place. The 
 land left is often simply that which cannot be used to advantage for building pur- 
 poses, and is taken by the city as a last resort, usually at house-lot prices. 
 
 High Bridge and Perkins Park are the only naturalistic reservations, although 
 the river valleys, canal, and other waterways of Akron, as well as the high hills and 
 steep, wooded bluffs offer most unusually attractive possibiUties. Fountain Park 
 is used only as a fair grounds. Elizabeth Park is primarily a playground, and Sum- 
 mit Lake Park, while a good step in the right direction, should be promptly 
 enlarged to enclose the lake and control its shore lines; otherwise the private devel- 
 opments are apt to be such as to spoil the entire body of water for park purposes. 
 
 What Akron needs is an inner series of small parks and playgrounds of from ten 
 to fifteen acres each, that will coordinate with the existing areas, and in addition a 
 system of large naturalistic and country parks connected by parked drives and 
 streets and made readily available by trolley for the people not only from all parts 
 of the city, but also from the surrounding country. Small recreation areas will do 
 much to make a city attractive and livable, and their acquisition should be en- 
 couraged, but they count for very little in providing the broader recreational facili- 
 ties which a city population imperatively needs. 
 
 29 
 
School Map 
 
 'T^HE public-school system is one of the organizations that feels first the 
 -^ effects of a rapid increase of population, and it requires careful planning 
 and foresight to meet the insistent and endless demand for more space and 
 new schools. Just as it is desirable to purchase land in advance for parks, 
 so the school districts should be mapped out in advance and future building 
 sites selected and purchased not only for more schools, but also for additional 
 high schools and other special schools. A city scarcely ever shows too great 
 foresight in this matter. 
 
 In providing school sites three considerations should be kept in mind — 
 the distance between school sites, the size of the grounds, and -the topo- 
 graphical character of the property. The diagrams showing the distribution 
 of population in Akron and the distribution of buildings will be of assistance 
 in gauging the trend of growth and the demand for schools. Unfortunately 
 the figures giving the distribution of population outside the old city limits 
 are not yet available. 
 
 By showing the eflBciency circle on the diagram on a quarter-mile basis 
 from each school, it is possible to tell at once those areas not now properly 
 served with school facilities. 
 
 31 
 
^(an prepared /or 
 
 Arj?on 
 Chamber ^^f Commerce 
 
 City Impr<:m2-i£nt Committee 
 FcAN'K hL ,Ax>AM5, Chairman 
 
 ■JomjW- NoLiiN Ctty Plaj\?^r 
 /i4j3\:AJ3D Sq- CambjudgeMass. 
 
 C ITY OF 
 
 Summit County 
 
 Akron 
 
 Staxe of Ohio 
 
 CITY ?VIAP 
 
 Wit/i in/hrmaiion 
 compi/ocf to form 
 
 d Aasis /br 
 T>rcfx>sed Ciiy fi/dn 
 
 See xnMe back cover for folded insert of large copy of City Map 
 32 
 
City Map 
 
 T^HE base map for the civic survey is the City Map of Akron, with inf orma- 
 -■- tion compiled to form a basis for the proposed city plan. As the legend 
 or note on the diagram indicates, the information shown graphically on the 
 map is as follows : 
 
 Streets and Alleys, Existing 
 
 Street-car Tracks 
 
 Railroad Properties 
 
 Industrial Properties 
 
 Parks and Playgrounds 
 
 Amusement Parks, Privately Owned 
 
 School Grounds 
 
 Other Public Properties 
 
 Public and Semi-public Buildings 
 
 Cemeteries 
 
 As a definite basis for future planning, one of the first steps is the collec- 
 tion, and so far as possible, the graphic presentation of the existing facts as 
 regards the topography of the city, the location and distribution of streets, 
 railroads, factories, parks, playgrounds, schools, public buildings and other 
 governing features. 
 
Planning Studies 
 
i^Can prepared ybi 
 
 Akron 
 Chamber q^^ Commerce 
 
 Cnv Improvement Committee 
 FciNK H. Adams, Chairman 
 
 John Nolen Ciryf^jvj?^^ 
 r£4/s\:^j2D Sq. C4MBJ2n}GB A/ass. 
 
 City of 
 
 See inside front cover for folded insert of large copy of General Plan 
 
 36 
 
General Plan 
 
 THE general plan, which is based upon 
 the existing conditions as shown on 
 the city map, presents the city plan pro- 
 posals for street and park systems, public 
 building sites and other city planning 
 features. 
 
 The discussions, recommendations and 
 plans in regard to the various subjects 
 follow on the succeeding pages under the 
 headings : — 
 
 Main Thoroughfares 
 
 Planning for the Down Town District 
 
 Proposed Parks 
 
 Zone Plan 
 
 City planning, even if limited to its 
 physical aspects, covers many topics. In 
 some respects these topics are quite differ- 
 ent from each other — thoroughfares differ 
 from parks, parks from public buildings, 
 public buildings from housing, housing 
 from zones, etc. The best solution for 
 each topic must be sought, but that best 
 solution must always take into considera- 
 tion the effect on the other topics, and at 
 the same time the result as a whole. In 
 other words, the planning must always re- 
 tain both points of view — on one hand 
 the requirements of each separate subject. 
 
 and on the other, the final requirements 
 of a comprehensive, well-balanced city 
 plan. Therefore it is of the utmost im- 
 portance in examining the planning studies 
 of thoroughfares, parks, public buildings, 
 etc., that it should always be with regard 
 to their effect upon related plans, and es- 
 pecially upon the unity of the city con- 
 sidered as a whole. 
 
 Akron, like other cities, grows by expan- 
 sion and contraction. Outlying neighbor- 
 hoods are constantly building up, especially 
 along the main radial thoroughfares. As a 
 contrasting movement there is steadily in- 
 creasing congestion at the center. Modern 
 city railway systems, even under private 
 ownership and control, must be relied upon 
 to take care of the growth at the periphery. 
 The center, however, gets relief mainly 
 through discriminating street widenings and 
 the opening up and development, as pro- 
 posed in the plans for the Akron down town 
 district, of a section of the city that is now 
 altogether inadequately utilized. 
 
 Akron's most serious city -planning prob- 
 lems are, after all, in connection with 
 its main thoroughfares, and the planning 
 studies here presented have therefore given 
 most attention to that subject. 
 
 =^^ 
 
 11-3 
 
 Uffl 
 
 '*" ..cJ jnl^^^' ^"' '\;^ 
 
 New Interurban Trolley Stati6n at Akron, one of the 
 most complete in the country 
 
 The Akron City Market, an institution that should be improved 
 and encoiiraged 
 
 37 
 
Main Thoroughfares 
 
 WHEN we speak of main thoroughfares 
 we mean all those streets that are 
 practically in continuous use as direct ways 
 of getting from one definite locality to 
 another. In the city center this would in- 
 clude all or nearly all the business streets; 
 but as we go out from the central area, the 
 points of importance become fewer and the 
 main streets further apart until we reach in 
 the outlying districts the minimum half-mile 
 standard, which should be maintained in 
 planning out any road system where the 
 country is at all built up as a city area or 
 through which connections of importance 
 must be permanently established. 
 
 The radial roads of Akron have been in 
 use for many years as ways "of communica- 
 tion with the surrounding country and the 
 towns and villages beyond, and Akron, be- 
 ing a natural center for a large section, is 
 fortunate in having a good system of radial 
 thoroughfares. With two exceptions this 
 system is unusually complete. Satisfactory 
 connections are lacking, however, to the 
 northeast and the southeast, the old lines 
 in both cases having worked around the hills 
 located in the sections mentioned. 
 
 Howard Street, which is in part a com- 
 paratively new lead to the north, has a 
 very heavy grade; but this situation is to be 
 improved in the near future by the proposed 
 North Hill viaduct, which will carry out the 
 
 Mt 
 
 
 
 
 
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 9 
 
 1 1 
 
 
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 M- 
 
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 '^f->' ■' 
 
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 -5- '*'^< 
 
 Present termination of Main Street, soon to be given a dignified 
 and adequate outlet by the new Viaduct to North Hill 
 
 Congestion of East Exchange Street, to be relieved by grade 
 elimination 
 
 logical extension of Main Street to High 
 Bridge. It is hoped that this improvement 
 can be w orked out in first-class manner on 
 good lines of street extension and a per- 
 manently satisfactory treatment of street 
 intersections. 
 
 Forge Street originally led directly to the 
 northeast, connecting with Evans Avenue, 
 but in recent years this connection has been 
 closed by the railroad. It is recommended 
 that this break in an important thorough- 
 fare should be connected up at the earliest 
 possible date and the road again opened to 
 traffic. 
 
 The extension of Upson Street into East 
 Market, and the proposed new street from 
 the junction of Upson and Arlington Streets 
 to Hazel and then to Tallmadge Road offers 
 another means of bringing the northeast 
 section into direct connection with the center 
 of the city. 
 
 At present East Exchange Street turns 
 just beyond Brown Avenue and breaks back 
 to East Market Street, and, because of the 
 interruption of the street system, due to the 
 Belt Line Railroad location, there is a large 
 area southeast of Johnston Street that has 
 only an indirect and roundabout connection 
 with the business center of the city. To 
 overcome this condition East Exchange 
 Street is shown continuing in a straight line 
 to Johnston Street and then on to the junc- 
 tion of Fifth and Arlington Streets. Arling- 
 ton Street then continues the line south to 
 Massillon. 
 
 39 
 
Between Brown Avenue and South Main 
 Street there is unfortunately no continuous 
 parallel street. It is proposed to meet this 
 difficulty by developing Grant Street to 
 Steiner Avenue and then Bellows Street, 
 with connection through Firestone Park to 
 Looker Road. 
 
 To the southwest two diagonal connec- 
 tions from Main Street, one from Bartges 
 Street crossing to Boulevard, and the other 
 from West Crosier junction to Kenmore 
 Boulevard form good through lines for 
 traffic, which now contributes to the con- 
 gestion and overcrowding of South Main 
 Street. 
 
 The extensions at both ends of Diagonal 
 Road to Maple Street in one case and 
 Wooster Avenue in the other would add a 
 new and important radial thoroughfare from 
 the Market Street center of the city. 
 
 In addition to the long through streets 
 named above the many short connections 
 have been shown on the Main Thorough- 
 fares Diagram which would decidedly im- 
 prove and complete the local system of 
 main traffic streets within the city proper. 
 
 Due to the irregularities of the topogra- 
 phy of Akron — the deep valleys, steep banks, 
 and sharply rising hills — the city has no reg- 
 ular system of circumferential streets, nor 
 is it practicable to establish one now. An 
 attempt has been made, however, to facili- 
 tate circulation to some extent about the 
 center of the city and to obtain direct con- 
 nection between adjacent important points 
 
 in the outskirts. The extension of Hawkins 
 Avenue on the west and its connections with 
 West South Street; the connecting up of Ira 
 
 60ft. street 
 
 80fi. 3ireef 
 
 High Bridge, a portion of a main thoroughfare, to the north, 
 over the Cuyahoga River gorge 
 
 99ft. Street . 
 
 Proposed Sections for Business Streets 
 
 Avenue, Steiner Avenue, and Lovers' Lane 
 to the south; and the new connection pro- 
 posed between the Country Club district 
 and High Bridge, by way of West Tallmadge 
 Avenue and the diagonal road, along the 
 top of the slope to North Howard Street, 
 shows what can be accomplished along this 
 line. 
 
 Next in importance to the location of the 
 main thoroughfares and the establishment 
 of their connections and continuation into 
 outlying districts is their width. Few cities 
 have main streets adequate in width to meet 
 the modern requirements of the automobile, 
 motor truck, and trolley car. Akron on the 
 whole is fortunate in having its broad Main 
 Street from Furnace Street to Chestnut 
 Street through the heart of the business dis- 
 
 40 
 
trict of the city, but steps should be taken 
 at once to permit of the future widening of 
 all main thoroughfares through the estab- 
 lishment of building lines. 
 
 
 ^Xi^ 
 
 
 U. 
 
 50//. Street 
 
 \ 
 
 >5i 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 ■■•.-■ Moaiiiyay' " 
 
 flL. 
 
 —zo' — 
 
 N 
 
 60/"^ Street 
 
 ^1 
 
 / 
 
 
 -iS- 
 
 JiVf V ^w.^!!*^'- ■■ 
 
 eo/t: street 
 
 Proposed Sections 
 
 ■■,,--v'4 . ..ao'c* 
 ?■ 46'4 'SJ- • 
 
 As an auxiliary to the wide-street system 
 proposed above it is recommended that the 
 following streets be widened to 100 feet: 
 
 West South Street, and its new connection with 
 
 Hawkins Avenue 
 East South Street, and its new connection with Fifth 
 
 Avenue 
 Fifth Avenue, and its new connection with East 
 
 Market Street 
 Foust Street 
 Thomastown Road 
 South Brittain Road 
 North Brittain Road 
 East Tallmadge Avenue 
 Camden Street 
 Hawkins Avenue, West Market Street to Garman 
 
 Road 
 Cuyahoga Street 
 
 All other streets shown on the Main 
 Thoroughfare diagram as part of the main 
 system of communication should be 60 feet 
 
 It is recommended that the following 
 streets be widened so that they will have an 
 overall dimension, where possible, of 110 
 feet in the business and closely built-up 
 sections of the city, and a width of 120 feet 
 in the more open and outlying areas.* 
 
 Market Street 
 
 Main Street 
 
 Exchange Street 
 
 Cuyahoga Falls Avenue, from Camden Street, North 
 
 Wooster Avenue 
 Kenmore Boulevard, and its extension into South 
 
 Main Street 
 Arlington Street, from East Market Street, south 
 Case Avenue 
 Hawkins Avenue, from West Market Street via its 
 
 extension to Kenmore Boulevard 
 
 * Since this recommendation was made the Akron City 
 Council has established, by ordinance, set-back or building lines Thornton Street narrowed down on one side to 45 feet. 
 on ten important streets. The list is given in the Appendix. portant street that needs additional width 
 
 41 
 
 An im- 
 
3 
 
 
 a 
 
 t3 
 
 42 
 
in width; and such streets as now have 
 car Hnes, or where there is any probabiHty 
 that car lines will later be built, should be 
 widened to 84 feet. 
 
 Other important considerations are those 
 of grading and alignment. The use of motor 
 
 vehicles has virtually revolutionized these 
 two requirements. Grades may be heavier 
 and no serious difficulty encountered where 
 they are no steeper than, say ten per cent, 
 but excessive irregularity or curvature, on 
 the other hand, should be reduced. 
 
 A very simple yet dignified and pleasing treatment 
 of an overhead railroad crossing a street 
 
 43 
 
CjTY OF A.KRON 
 
 yJianmU Cjyaniy QAi'o 
 
 UNIQM StAHOM AND Civ/c Centehs 
 
 44 
 
Planning for the Down Town District 
 
 A. NEW UNION RAILROAD STATION 
 
 TT is of the utmost importance that the 
 -'■ railroad changes contemplated for Akron, 
 especially the elimination of grade cross- 
 ings and the location and general plan for 
 the proposed new Union Station, should be 
 worked out in connection with the city- 
 planning studies for the Down Town Dis- 
 trict. The sketch plan submitted has been 
 given careful consideration and general ap- 
 proval by the various parties concerned in 
 the best solution of the various related 
 problems involved. 
 
 The railroads have been aptly called the 
 "frame- work of the city plan," and their 
 importance to the city's life and prosperity 
 is now fully appreciated. It has also come 
 to be expected that the solution of impor- 
 tant railroad problems should, whenever 
 possible, be based upon a study and analy- 
 sis of all the systems of transportation 
 concerned, including not only the steam 
 railroad properties, but also the street 
 transit lines and the city's system of main 
 arteries of communication. These com- 
 ponent parts of the problem cannot be 
 properly considered apart, because of the 
 importance of the separation of grades and 
 the effect upon the main streets. It is also 
 very desirable that the location and char- 
 acter of a railroad station should have due 
 attention as an important public building, 
 often in relation to other public buildings. 
 
 and that orderly, convenient, and ample 
 approaches should be provided. Further- 
 more, the solution of these problems should 
 
 Present use of the proposed Union Station site 
 
 Present type of development on land included in proposed 
 Civic Center 
 
 include a reasonable anticipation of future 
 needs and be studied with regard to the 
 future city plan. 
 
 The main points governing the selection 
 of the site proposed for the new Union 
 Station at Akron, on Broadway between 
 State Street and Exchange Street, and 
 directly on the axis of Buchtel Avenue, are 
 as follows: 
 
 1. The growth of business in Akron is 
 toward the south along Main Street. Illus- 
 trations of this can be had in such new 
 buildings as the First-Second National 
 Bank, the Delaware and Ohio Buildings, 
 the Peoples Savings & Trust Company, and 
 other new buildings. The location of the 
 railroad in the neighborhood of Market 
 Street also results in a greater distance from 
 Main Street than a site farther south. 
 
 2. The location proposed is not only 
 nearer the center of the present business 
 district, and especially the future business 
 district, but is also nearer the center of 
 present and future population of the city 
 
 45 
 
Union Station, Albany 
 
 as a whole. While the city is growing in all 
 directions, the greater growth is toward 
 the south. 
 
 3. The new Station would have direct 
 access from Main Street by Buchtel Avenue, 
 a street of good width (66 feet) and easy 
 grade (about 5 per cent). 
 
 4. Broadway, on which the new Station 
 would be located, is a street with a width 
 of 99 feet, and would give a good frontage 
 with ample approaches from the north and 
 south. 
 
 5. The site itself and its surroundings, 
 considering their proximity to the center 
 of the city, represent low land values and 
 insignificant cost of improvement. This 
 low cost would permit of an adequate 
 scheme providing not merely trackage 
 space and an ample site for the Station, 
 but a Plaza in front of the building, with 
 the necessary traffic area for approaches 
 and parking for vehicles. 
 
 6. One of the principal merits of the 
 proposal is unquestionably the accessibil- 
 ity of the site to two of the main thorough- 
 fares of the city, namely. Main Street and 
 Exchange Street. It is but two short 
 blocks from Main Street, the great busi- 
 ness and traffic thoroughfare of the city 
 running north and south, and has direct 
 frontage on Exchange Street, the central 
 east and west artery. Exchange Street is 99 
 feet wide now from Locust Street to the 
 railroad in the center of the city, and steps 
 
 Union Station, Denver 
 
 have been taken already toward making 
 it at least the same width throughout its 
 entire length. 
 
 7. The linking up of various forms of 
 city transportation would be secured by 
 the proposed location. Practically every 
 street car line would give direct service, 
 and there would be no difficulty at all in 
 providing a loop line, so that the passen- 
 gers on the street cars could be landed at 
 the door of the Station. 
 
 8. The new building, being directly on 
 the axis of Buchtel Avenue, would have a 
 commanding and beautiful situaticm., with 
 just the right elevation as viewed from 
 Main Street. Such sites are desirable for 
 nearly all public buildings, but it is par- 
 ticularly fortunate when one is secured for 
 a railroad station. There would also be 
 opportunity for good architectural effects 
 from the north or south from Broadway. 
 
 9. In the proposed location, the Station 
 would be part of the group of buildings 
 now occupying the ridge in the immediate 
 neighborhood. 
 
 10. At the present time the retail busi- 
 ness of Akron is concentrated too much 
 for a city of its size on a single street. 
 From many points of view it is desirable 
 that a business district should be formed 
 spreading east and west from Main Street. 
 The location of the Station as proposed 
 would contribute materially toward this 
 desirable eflPect. 
 
 46 
 
It is seldom, it seems to me, when a solu- 
 tion of an important city problem can be 
 found whicli unites so harmoniously the best 
 and most permanent interests of the rail- 
 roads, private property owners, and the 
 people of the city as a whole, as is the case 
 with the proposed site for the new Union 
 Station at Akron. 
 
 B. CIVIC CENTER 
 
 JUST as the trend of business develop- 
 ^ ment and the natural leads of the city 
 streets determine the location chosen for 
 the Union Station, so the same factors 
 govern the choice of location for the pro- 
 posed Civic Center. The section deter- 
 mined upon is not only accessible from 
 Main and Exchange Streets, and all the 
 car lines of the city, but is at the intersec- 
 tion of diagonal streets leading in all direc- 
 tions: Park Street and proposed viaduct to 
 West Market Street; Main Street and the 
 new viaduct to North Hill; North Forge 
 and Carroll Streets to the east; East Ex- 
 change and its extension to the southeast; 
 Grant, Hill, and South Main Streets to the 
 south; Bowery Street and Wooster Avenue 
 to the southwest; and West Exchange 
 Street with Maple Street to the west and 
 northwest. 
 
 The site itself is a broad, level tract suit- 
 able for building purposes, and already 
 
 View of building at corner of Main Street 
 and Howard Street, Akron 
 
 laid out with wide streets and well-shaped 
 blocks. The city now owns considerable 
 land here in Perkins Park and Perkins 
 School site. The remainder of the property 
 is not developed with expensive buildings, 
 and would therefore be relatively cheap to 
 purchase, which, coupled with the low cost 
 of improvements necessary to open the 
 district, would make the project a very 
 practical one from the financial point of 
 view. Especially is this true when one 
 considers the present assessed value of the 
 surrounding neighborhood, and contem- 
 plates the favorable changes that would 
 occur in a few years with such a scheme as 
 that proposed. 
 
 The present business district of Akron is 
 woefully cramped and congested, being 
 
 A busy intersection that should be enlarged. Main, South 
 Howard, and Quarry Streets 
 
 Treatment of a similar intersection, Piccadilly Circus, London 
 
 47 
 
practically confined to one street, with no 
 chance of extension at either end, being 
 blocked by topographical conditions to the 
 north, and factory developments to the 
 south. One of the chief needs in the down 
 town section is a big, comprehensive scheme 
 that will cause the business" area to expand 
 and spread out into a true district. The 
 proposed center would definitely bring 
 about just such a change by turning busi- 
 ness across the canal on Exchange and 
 State Streets. By treating the canal as a 
 pond and building solidly on the outside 
 of the two bridges, the open park space 
 with the water would become a central 
 feature around which business would con- 
 centrate. Treated as at present, with the 
 canal in the center of the valley open in 
 both directions, this area will always serve 
 as a barrier to expansion, and seem to cut 
 the district in halves. Traffic would for 
 the most part pass by the square itself 
 on Exchange Street, Locust Street, and 
 Bowery Street, and not cut across it, thus 
 keeping the open area free of vehicles and 
 at the same time preventing interruption in 
 the continuity of the streets. 
 
 At present the canal valley is one of the 
 most unsightly spots in Akron, although it 
 
 O". BfiO/JOWAY 
 
 O. Mfiiff St. 
 
 Plan showing proposed enlargement of the intersection of Main, 
 South Howard, and Quarry Streets 
 
 Proposed foot approach to Court House from South Main Street 
 
 offers unlimited possibilities for beautiful 
 scenic effects. Due to existing develop- 
 ments, it is perhaps unwise to* try to re- 
 deem its character throughout its entire 
 length, but a short section between State 
 and Exchange Streets could be developed 
 as shown, and become one of the most 
 unique and effective centers of any city in 
 America. Such a treatment would offer an 
 exceptionally good site for a public build- 
 ing, with the open square to the west and 
 the park and pond to the east, while both 
 this public building, whatever it might be, 
 and the Union Station would gain by being 
 linked together on a common axis. As 
 seen across the water from Main Street, the 
 building would present an imposing ap- 
 pearance, worthy of a prosperous and ener- 
 getic community such as Akron. 
 
 48 
 
A canal scene in an American city 
 
 A canal scene in a Belgian city 
 
 St. Mary's Church from South Main Street. Beautiful buildings 
 are often unappreciated because of poor surroundings 
 
 49 
 
PROPOSED PARKS 
 
 DIAGEAM 
 
 Skowinff Aivar io it ujvd^p 
 'Ftirk Purpojej am/ dt* coanfcHny 
 
 Pfanj\^ 62 
 
 50 
 
Proposed Parks 
 
 T^ HE park system can be summarized con- 
 ■*■ veniently under four heads, namely: 
 (1) large parks, (2) small local parks, (3) 
 squares and triangles, and (4) parked streets 
 and parkways. 
 
 The first, the large parks, because of their 
 extent, the cost of the land, and the desira- 
 bility of getting a natural, beautiful location, 
 must necessarily, in a city like Akron be 
 placed on the outskirts, and should be so 
 distributed as to serve as large an area as 
 possible. These park reservations should be 
 at least one hundred acres in extent, but the 
 size will be determined largely by the topog- 
 raphy. 
 
 The second group, the smaller parks, 
 should be scattered throughout the built-up 
 residential area and at such a distance from 
 one another that each would serve an area 
 approximately one mile in diameter. These 
 
 parks constitute the local recreation centers 
 and, though park-like in treatment, should 
 contain playground facilities. The area of 
 such grounds will vary in size and shape, 
 depending upon the local conditions of the 
 district served and the density of the popula- 
 tion, but a good standard would be from ten 
 to fifteen acres. 
 
 The squares and triangles add much to the 
 attractiveness of the city and contribute to 
 the health and happiness of the people. 
 They should be located wherever important 
 intersections occur or where there is land 
 which, because of its size, shape, or character, 
 is unsuitable for building. Intersections 
 dangerous for traffic can often be made safe 
 by using the corner property for a small local 
 park, thus preventing the cross view from 
 being blanketed or obscured by buildings. 
 
 Parked streets and parkways serve as 
 
 The Old Maid's Kitchen at the Gorge 
 
 Cuyahoga Falls, an attractive natural feature 
 in the proposed park system 
 
 51 
 
pleasant connecting ways to drive or walk 
 from one park unit to another. They also 
 add to the beauty and attractiveness of the 
 districts they traverse and are decidedly 
 serviceable as fire breaks. 
 
 The most pronounced natural feature in 
 the vicinity of Akron is the Gorge and deep 
 valley of the Cuyahoga River. The Park 
 Diagram submitted shows an extension of 
 the present holdings at High Bridge to insure 
 the control of this whole area along both 
 bluffs of the river with the adjacent low land 
 near Peck Avenue. The sewerage disposal 
 plant could be tied into this low park land 
 and the whole made an attractive addition 
 to the park properties of the city. 
 
 Leading to the north a park reservation 
 should be acquired on either side of the Cuy- 
 ahoga River as part of a county park system 
 which would preserve the beautiful scenery 
 of a fine river valley and its rugged slopes. 
 
 Between the Baltimore and Ohio and the 
 
 
 
 
 As Nature treats the slopes of the ravines. West Tallmadge 
 Avenue 
 
 Man's treatment of a similar bank, below Wood Street 
 
 Northern Ohio railroads from West Tall- 
 madge Avenue to Hickory Street is a steep, 
 rough bank cut by ravines and still heavily 
 wooded. This land is not suitable for build- 
 ing, but would make a beautiful park reser- 
 vation, and, added to the low land across the 
 river, which is well adapted for recreation 
 purposes, it would make a complete park 
 unit for this part of the city. Extending in 
 toward the center from this area is a deep 
 valley along the Ohio Canal now given over 
 to a dumping ground. Without question 
 this valley should be publicly owned to pre- 
 vent it from becoming, as it seems Jpound to 
 become if uncontrolled, a slum and disease- 
 breeding spot. 
 
 In the northeast section a large park is 
 shown on the hilltop land at East Tallmadge 
 Avenue and North Brittain Road. This 
 land could be purchased now at a relatively 
 low figure and would be a tremendous future 
 asset. Another similar park should be 
 acquired at an early date before the property 
 is cut up into building lots at the junction 
 of South Arlington Street and Thomaston 
 Road. 
 
 To the southwest Summit Lake offers an 
 excellent opportunity for a park and recrea- 
 tion center. The entire shore line should be 
 brought under city control and enough 
 additional land to preserve the beauty of the 
 lake and also make ample provision for play 
 areas. As much land as possible along the 
 banks of the Ohio Canal to the south should 
 
 52 
 
Park possibilities along the Ohio Canal, north from Thornton 
 Street 
 
 be controlled to insure a good parkway con- 
 nection with the Portage Lakes, which are 
 now a state reservation. 
 
 The high land between Wooster and East 
 Avenues is being rapidly built up and there 
 is a good opportunity at present to purchase 
 a sufficient area for an overlook park on the 
 high part of the hill above Indiana Avenue. 
 Another district rapidly building up is about 
 Maple Street and Hawkins Avenue. This 
 section should be provided with a large park 
 before the land rises in value to such a price 
 as to make it prohibitive. The best location 
 for such a park would be at the intersection 
 of Maple Street and Hawkins Avenue, which 
 would be central to the large triangular dis- 
 trict between West Exchange Street and 
 Diagonal Road. 
 
 Scene in Akron showing boating facilities along upper 
 canal 
 
 The Country Club property, as mentioned 
 before, is a very good future possibility as a 
 park for the upper part of West Hill. 
 
 Within the city and in addition to the 
 large parks, a number of smaller local parks 
 and recreation grounds have been shown on 
 the park diagram, which serve the more 
 densely built-up areas. For example, the 
 North Hill district is served by the extension 
 of McLain Park and the large addition to the 
 school ground at Dayton Street and East 
 Tallmadge Avenue. The population of the 
 low land along the river is provided for by 
 the extension of Elizabeth Park. This ex- 
 tension is proposed not only to give more 
 space, but to wipe out the possibility of 
 using the land for housing purposes. Due 
 to the location, danger from floods, and the 
 
 South from Thornton Street 
 
 Looking down the Ohio Canal to Summit Lake 
 
 53 
 
character of existing buildings, this section 
 is destined to become one of the worst parts 
 of the city unless preventive measures are 
 taken. 
 
 Directly east of Akron along the canal 
 and river a reservation is shown which would 
 serve a large territory on both sides of the 
 
 High-school athletic fields should be pro- 
 vided, and these should be taken care of in 
 some of the larger local parks and also by 
 enlarging Buchtel Field, which is at present 
 cramped. 
 
 Proposed local squares are shown only in 
 
 Canoeing on the Portage Lakes 
 
 river and which is now entirely without park 
 facilities. 
 
 Goodyear Heights is well taken care of by 
 its own recreation field, and across the river 
 the property of the Sumner Home for the 
 Aged offers an exceptional opportunity for 
 the East Akron district. This area would be 
 supplemented by the enlarged school grounds 
 on Inman Street, south of Lovers' Lane. 
 
 South Akron should have additional 
 recreation space, and an area is suggested 
 south of Baird Street between Brown and 
 Grant Streets. A similar area is proposed 
 on Wooster Avenue to provide for the Sher- 
 bondy Hill district. 
 
 Bowen School — a good building with inadequate grounds and 
 in a poor location 
 
 some special cases. The location of such 
 areas requires detailed study, and is, after 
 all, of local and not general importance. 
 They should, however, be kept constantly in 
 mind and incorporated into the city plans 
 whenever possible. 
 
 In many cases the main thordlighfares 
 would become the parked streets and would 
 be developed to provide the facilities that 
 parked streets should have, but in other 
 places special streets should be designated 
 for special park treatment. A complete 
 system of inter-park streets has been studied 
 and is shown as a part of the park system on 
 the diagram of the Proposed Parks. 
 
 Recreation building and field house, South Parks, Chicago 
 54 
 
"In scarcely anything to be determined by local public opinion, acting influ- 
 entially upon local legislation and administration, is a city as likely to be so made 
 or marred for all its future as in proceedings in prosecution of a park project." 
 
 "It must be kept in mind that the public grounds of most cities have come to 
 be what they are, and where they are, by various detached and desultory proceed- 
 ings, of which the result, as a whole, illustrates penny-wise, pound-foolish wisdom." 
 
 "That those in charge of a park work may proceed economically and with 
 profit they must be able to proceed with confidence, method and system, steadily, 
 step after step, to carry to completion a well-matured design." 
 
 "For every thousand dollars judiciously invested in a park, the dividends to 
 the second generation of the citizens possessing it will be much larger than to the 
 first; the dividends to the third generation much larger than to the second." 
 
 "For several years I have given this subject considerable thought and study, 
 and my conclusion is that when parks are properly located as to the city's area 
 and population, and are so constructed and maintained as to meet the needs of 
 the people they are to serve, also made beautiful, attractive, and suitable for the 
 work they are to do, they will bring more money into the city treasury than they 
 take out, the amount depending upon how well they are balanced with the needs 
 of the people." 
 
 In proposed park system 
 
 55 
 
P/tzn prepared for 
 
 Akron 
 Chamber o^~ Commerce 
 
 Cnv Improv-ement Committee 
 Feank H. Adams, CKaLrman 
 
 John A'ole.v C/t^ Pl.aa7^/i 
 H-\fi\:-ViD So Cambrjoge ^£\ss 
 
 Akron 
 
 Zone Pian 
 
 DIAGDAM 
 
Zone Plan 
 
 "I suppose that before men will discipline themselves to learn and plan, they 
 must first see in a hundred convincing forms the folly and muddle that come 
 from headlong, aimless, and haphazard methods. 
 
 "The whole of Bromstead as I remember it, and as I saw it last — it is a year 
 ago now — is a dull, useless boiling-up of human activities, an immense clustering 
 of futilities. It is as unfinished as ever; the builders' roads still run out and end 
 in mid-field in their old fashion; the various enterprises jumble in the same hope- 
 less contradiction — if anything, intensified. Pretentious villas jostle slums, and 
 public-house and tin tabernacle glower at one another across the cat-haunted lot 
 that intervenes. Roper's meadows are now quite frankly a slum; back doors and 
 sculleries gape towards the railway, their yards are hung with tattered washing 
 unashamed; and there seem to be more boards by the railway every time I pass, 
 advertising pills and pickles, tonics and condiments, and suchlike solicitudes of a 
 people with no natural health nor appetite left in them. . . . 
 
 "Well, we have to do better. Failure is not failure nor waste wasted if it 
 sweeps away illusion and lights the road to a plan." 
 
 USE DISTRICTS 
 
 THE five zones as designated for use shall 
 be governed by the following restric- 
 tions : 
 
 Zone 1. Business Districts. 
 
 Land and buildings are to be used for 
 wholesale and retail business, offices, and 
 public buildings. 
 
 Light manufacturing and storage inci- 
 dental or essential to the business use of a 
 building will be permitted to the extent of 
 50 per cent of the floor space of the building 
 and five employees. 
 
 Telephone exchanges, car barns, garages, 
 etc., to be allowed by special permit from 
 city authorities. 
 
 AH uses allowed in residential districts are 
 permitted in business districts. 
 
 Zone 2. Industrial Districts. 
 
 Land and buildings to be used for all 
 trades and purposes of storage, industry, 
 commerce, and residence, except for a speci- 
 fied list of industries known to be objection- 
 able. Such objectionable industries may be 
 permitted in special areas for a limited time 
 by act of the proper city authorities. 
 
 Zone 3. Group House Districts. 
 
 Land to be used for single-family, de- 
 tached houses, semi-detached houses, two- 
 
 family houses, and group houses in single- 
 family units, not over ten units in any one 
 group. 
 
 Churches, clubs, hospitals, public or semi- 
 public institutions of an educational, phil- 
 anthropic, or eleemosynary nature, with 
 accessories are to be permitted. Private of- 
 fices such as that of a physician or dentist, 
 and private garages for not over four auto- 
 mobiles may be erected. 
 
 Zone 4- Single-family House Districts. 
 
 All buildings allowed in Zone 3 are allowed 
 in Zone 4 except the group houses. Farm- 
 ing, truck gardening, nurseries, or green- 
 houses may be erected and maintained. 
 
 Zone 5. Restricted Neighborhood Districts. 
 
 All land to be used for single-family, de- 
 tached, or semi-detached dwellings. 
 
 Churches, clubs, and educational institu- 
 tions may be erected and maintained, also 
 private offices of physicians or for other 
 similar use, and private garages for not over 
 four automobiles. 
 
 Farming, truck gardening, nurseries, or 
 greenhouses may also be erected and main- 
 tained. 
 
 This zone may be subdivided into neigh- 
 borhood groups, and regulated by its own 
 restrictions as agreed upon by 80 per cent 
 of the property owners with approval of city 
 
 57 
 
council. These neighborhood restrictions 
 must conform with the minimum for the 
 district and not annul other covering ordi- 
 nances. 
 
 Looking northeast from Sherbondy Hill. View shows how in- 
 dustries of Akron have congested the center of the city 
 
 HEIGHT DISTRICTS 
 
 The five zones as designated for use shall 
 be governed as to height by the following 
 restrictions : 
 
 Zone 1. Business Districts. 
 
 Height of building not to exceed one and 
 one half times width of the street on which 
 it faces. 
 
 In no case are buildings to exceed 125 
 feet, except as provided for towers and 
 spires. 
 
 Zone 2. Industrial Districts. 
 
 No building to exceed 60 feet in height 
 except as provided for gas tanks, grain 
 elevators, and other such industrial struc- 
 tures, towers, and spires. 
 
 Zone S. Group House Districts. 
 
 No residence to exceed 45 feet in height. 
 
 Other buildings allowed in this zone not 
 to exceed 60 feet in height except in case of 
 towers or spires. 
 
 Zone 4- Single-family House Districts. 
 
 Height restrictions the same as specified 
 for Zone 3. 
 
 Zone 5. Restricted Neighborhood Districts. 
 
 Height restrictions the same as specified 
 for Zone 3. 
 
 AREA DISTRICTS 
 
 The five zones as designated for use shall 
 be governed as to area by the following 
 restrictions : 
 
 Zone 1. Business Districts. 
 
 Buildings may cover entire lot. 
 Courts and light and air regulated by city 
 building code. 
 
 • 
 Zone 2. Industrial Districts. 
 
 No building or group of buildings to cover 
 more than 75 per cent of lot or plot. 
 
 An example of a store poorly located in a residential district 
 
 A good example of store property well located in i 
 residential district 
 
 58 
 
Separate building to be at least 10 feet 
 apart. 
 
 Zone 3. Group House Districts. 
 
 Residences not to occupy more than 50 
 per cent of the entire lot area. 
 
 Set back from street line to be at least 
 15 feet, from side lines 10 feet, and from rear 
 line 25 feet. 
 
 Outbuildings not to cover more than 
 123^ per cent of the entire lot area, nor be 
 erected within 5 feet of rear or side line, 
 and are to be at least 40 feet from street 
 lines. 
 
 Zone 4, Single-family House Districts. 
 
 Same restrictions as to area covered and 
 set back as for Zone 3. 
 
 Zone 5. Restricted Neighborhood Districts. 
 
 Residences not to cJccupy more than 
 30 per cent of the area of entire lot. 
 
 Set back from street line to be at least 
 20 feet, from side lines 10 feet, and from rear 
 line 30 feet. 
 
 Outbuildings not to cover more than 
 10 per cent of the entire lot area, nor be 
 erected within 5 feet of rear or side lines, and 
 are to be at least 40 feet from street line. 
 
 Bell Tower, Glendale Cemetery 
 
 59 
 
Housing 
 
62 
 
Housing in Relation to City Planning 
 
 nnmS chapter on housing in relation to 
 ■*■ city planning is part of the civic survey 
 and city plan for Akron. It is one of the 
 first times that a thoroughgoing investiga- 
 tion and report upon housing have been 
 included in an American city-planning 
 study. A full report on housing, with 
 photographic and other illustrations, was 
 made to the Akron Chamber of Commerce 
 during the progress of these city-planning 
 studies. It comprised a review of local 
 conditions, a questionnaire to all manu- 
 facturers, the results of which were sum- 
 marized, detailed recommendations for the 
 organization of a local housing company, 
 examples of low-cost houses, and other in- 
 formation and data bearing upon the hous- 
 ing problem in Akron. 
 
 These housing studies and their accom- 
 panying recommendations are confined to 
 
 The building of houses in such locations as this should not be 
 permitted 
 
 Rear-lot houses and very unsanitary conditions 
 
 an effort to provide more houses for Akron. 
 No space is taken for general argument as 
 to the evils of bad nor the advantages of 
 good housing, because the movement result- 
 ing in the present action began with a con- 
 viction that more houses in Akron are not 
 only desirable, but indispensable. Never- 
 theless, the fact that much of the existing 
 housing is bad has not been overlooked. 
 These conditions should be improved, both 
 in the interest of existing housing and of the 
 new buildings to be constructed which must 
 compete with them. But it should be kept 
 steadily in mind that the demand for houses, 
 apartments, and rooms in Akron is now far 
 beyond the supply, and that the first step 
 toward an effective relief of the present un- 
 favorable conditions is the increase of the 
 supply of better houses and apartments. 
 
 The results of the local survey and 
 questionnaire show that a large number of 
 employees in the factories of Akron are now 
 seeking housing accommodations — some 
 to rent, some to buy, and some to build on 
 lots which they already own. Home owner- 
 ship affords one of the most durable satis- 
 factions for family life, and it is to the 
 interest of all that it should be realized what 
 difl&culties stand in the way of home owner- 
 ship. While there is no desire or intention 
 of recommending any step that would even 
 appear to interfere with individual action 
 
House types of moderate price being built at the present time in Akron 
 
 64 
 
Akron housing — typically American 
 
 and full liberty on the part of workingmen, 
 there is a need for cooperation with them 
 in overcoming many of the difficulties that 
 low-cost home ownership now involves. 
 
 The essentials of this better-housing 
 method recommended are cheap land, broad 
 planning of the neighborhood, regulated 
 density of houses per acre, wholesale modern 
 building operations, and an adequate but 
 limited dividend on the necessary invest- 
 ment of capital. 
 
 What, then, is the first step toward a 
 solution of the housing problem in Akron.? 
 I believe it is to recognize that the subject is 
 primarily one for the right application of 
 broad, economic principles through com- 
 munity action. In some thoroughgoing way 
 we must convert the great forces, working 
 through regular business channels, which 
 now produce bad housing to produce good 
 housing, and we must do it by bringing 
 into control and cooperation with them the 
 forces that believe in good housing and will 
 gain from it. These are mainly the manu- 
 facturing and business interests that depend 
 upon the efficient and happy workman. A 
 great change in housing methods' will come, 
 if it does come, from the substitution of the 
 reasonable profits of business for exploita- 
 tion and excessive return; from the trans- 
 fer of housing from the field of speculation 
 to that corresponding to legitimate manu- 
 facturing. We shall then proceed in very 
 much the same way that the manufacturer 
 proceeds. We shall want to know the facts 
 
 as to the nature and extent of the demand 
 for houses. We shall have definite aims as 
 to the product. We shall use skill and 
 experience and factory methods. We shall 
 back the housing enterprise with adequate 
 capital, and count upon a fair rate of 
 interest. 
 
 Who is responsible for action in this 
 housing matter.? That, after all, is the first 
 step in the solution of the problem. How 
 can we get the building of homes on a large 
 scale started.? I do not think we can prove 
 by logic that the employers are responsible, 
 although there is no doubt in my own mind 
 that it is to the employers' interests to act 
 promptly and in a large and far-sighted way. 
 Such action has already been taken in 
 Akron, for no better housing examples exist 
 in the United States than the developments 
 for their own employees of Goodyear 
 Heights by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber 
 Company, and Firestone Park by the Fire- 
 stone Tire and Rubber Company. The 
 action of these two companies, however, will 
 not solve the whole workingmen's housing 
 problem for Akron. It seems to me reason- 
 able to hold that the investment in housing 
 should be looked upon by all the manu- 
 facturers and the community at large as a 
 part of the total investment necessary for 
 carrying on business. In the case of Akron 
 the capitalization of manufacturing amounts 
 in round figures to over $150,000,000. The 
 total additional investment necessary for 
 
 An English housing development 
 
 65 
 
the proper housing of all wage earners 
 would probably not amount to more than 
 $10,000,000.* 
 
 Housing in Akron, as in other industrial 
 cities, should be a joint community matter. 
 Prompt action is desirable, especially in pro- 
 viding a more adequate supply of houses 
 and suitable apartments for rent. Civic 
 advance will come in this matter as it has 
 come in others. Experiment points the way, 
 and vision creates responsibility. Manu- 
 facturers and others will see the controlling 
 importance of this subject, and how to 
 promote it. They will apply themselves 
 energetically to the task, and gradually 
 we shall solve — - mainly on economic lines, 
 I believe, based on broad community ac- 
 tion — the local problems of industrial hous- 
 ing. In so doing we shall make one of the 
 greatest contributions not only to the wel- 
 fare of the wage earner, but also to in- 
 dustrial eflSciency. 
 
 The housing program proposed for Akron 
 is not essentially new or radical. In fact, 
 it follows conservative, well-tried-out pro- 
 posals of other housing companies in other 
 places. Everything recommended has been 
 successfully executed elsewhere in this 
 country for the same classes of workingmen 
 with the same income, or even less. No one 
 type of house or method is endorsed as the 
 
 An attractive small-place development on Summit Lake 
 
 only one, although the emphasis is put upon 
 the single-family, self-contained, detached 
 house or cottage as on the whole most desir- 
 able for the normal family. In addition to 
 the single-family house, either detached or 
 semi-detached, the report includes an en- 
 dorsement of the single-family house in 
 carefully designed groups, the four-family 
 flat, semi-detached, and the two-family 
 house in groups for more than four families. 
 The choice of the house type depends mainly 
 upon land values, wages, and local demand. 
 For example, we must ask, what can be 
 done with land of high value, costing, say 
 $3000 an acre or more.!^ What can be done 
 for men earning only $20 a week? What can 
 be done to meet promptly the demand for 
 small houses or apartments for rent in a 
 central and somewhat costly city situation? 
 It is believed that all the types recom- 
 mended have some advantages, either of 
 house construction or of reduction in cost of 
 land and public utilities. They also take 
 into account the fact that different people 
 have diflEerent tastes and preferences, as well 
 as different needs, in housing, as in other 
 matters. What is best in any particular 
 instance depends partly, at least, upon con- 
 ditions and circumstances and cost. 
 
 The schedule given below shows the rela- 
 tion of the cost of lots and housfes to wages 
 and rent. The workingmen under consider- 
 ation in this report receive approximately 
 from $20 to $40 a week or more. If they 
 receive, say $20 a week, and we assume that 
 they can afford to pay $20 a month rent, the 
 total investment in house and lot should not 
 exceed $2500. This allows about $500 for an 
 improved lot (public utilities, etc.), and 
 $2000 for the building. If regular savings 
 are to be made toward the purchase of the 
 property, the wages should average higher 
 than the figure quoted. On this basis the 
 investment would yield annually the usual 
 real estate return of 10 per cent gross, or 
 from 5 per cent to 6 per cent net, according 
 to local conditions. 
 
 *The Akron Home Owners Investment Company, organized in May, 1919, with a capitalization of $5,000,000 to relieve the 
 housing congestion in Akron, plans to loan money on first and second mortgages to lot owners desiring to erect their own homes, 
 and also to erect a number of houses of the semi-detached or terrace type for renting. 
 
 66 
 
JThe General Schedule below Shows the Relation of the Cost of Lots and Houses to 
 
 Wages, Rent, and Savings 
 
 Lots — Improved . $500 $600 $700 $800 
 (except paved roadway) 
 
 Houses 2000 2400 2800 3200 
 
 Total House and Lot 2500 3000 2500 4000 
 
 Wages : 
 
 Per week . . 
 Per year 
 
 Rent: 
 
 Per month 20 25 30 40 
 
 Savings : 
 
 Per month 5 6 7 8 
 
 20 25 30 40 
 1040 1300 1560 2080 
 
 Minimum Lot and House foe NorxMAl Family 
 
 Minimum Lot. 
 
 Terrace row .... 16'-18'wide 80-100' deep 
 Semi-detached (each) 30'-40' wide 80'-100' deep 
 Detached .... 40'-50'wide 80'-100' deep 
 
 Minimum House. 
 
 Four rooms — living-room, kitchen, two bedrooms 
 and bath. 
 
 Five rooms preferred — living-room, kitchen, three 
 bedrooms and bath; allows for separate bed- 
 rooms for older children of different sexes. 
 
 The Village Green, Tallmadge Center, near Akron. A sense of openness 
 and peace which the city lacks. The parks and open spaces pro- 
 posed for Akron will provide some of the beauty and refreshment 
 of which this Village Green is characteristic. 
 
A BRIEF SURVEY of the LAW 
 
 RELATING TO THE 
 
 CITY PLAN /or AKRON 
 
 BY 
 
 FRANK BACKUS WILLIAMS 
 
 OF THE NEW YORK BAR 
 
 Note: The "Brief Survey" is a summary of such portions 
 of a more complete survey as are thought to be of general 
 interest. The entire survey, with notes, references to legal 
 and other authorities, and extracts from legislation in 
 other states is published in full as a separate report. 
 
Brief Survey of the Law Relating to the City Plan for Akron 
 
 I. Establishment of City Plan 
 
 IN order that city construction may be intelli- 
 gently carried out there must be a plan of the 
 city as a whole, by which the construction of any 
 part or detail of it from time to time as it occurs 
 may be guided. To that end it is necessary that 
 the plan should be made binding upon the city au- 
 thorities, except as from time to time it may be 
 deliberately and formally amended. 
 
 Akron, in its home-rule charter, authorizes its 
 commission to make plans, and submit recommen- 
 dations with regard to them to the Gity Council, 
 which by a majority vote may authorize the com- 
 mission to enforce them. There is no legal reason 
 why under these provisions a comprehensive plan 
 of the city as a whole should not be drawn up by 
 the planning commission, adopted by the Council, 
 and made binding upon the city. 
 
 The adoption of the plan of the city makes it 
 certain that the city authorities will not transgress 
 it, but does not guard it against violations by pri- 
 vate property owners. In order that present con- 
 struction may conform to and aid right future 
 development, prudent planning must anticipate 
 present needs by many years. In order that the 
 city may be planned as an efficient unit, prudent 
 planning must, in outline at least, cover the entire 
 city. Only, however, such parts of the entire plan 
 as immediate need demands and financial ability 
 warrants, are ever at once constructed. It even 
 seems to be impossible to any considerable extent 
 to purchase the land needed for future deyelop- 
 ment. Meanwhile the land affected by the plan 
 remains for the most part in private ownership; and 
 unless some method is adopted at the outset of pre- 
 venting the land owners from making such uses of 
 their land as will infringe upon the plan, it will 
 certainly in many important particulars become 
 impossible to carry it out. This the history of many 
 American cities only too clearly proves. It is, there- 
 fore, essential that the city discover and adopt 
 some method of making adherence to the plan 
 binding upon the land which it affects. 
 
 In the countries most advanced in city-planning 
 legislation and administration — in the countries of 
 continental Europe, with the notable exception of 
 France, in England, and in many parts of the British 
 Empire — certain features of the city plan are made 
 
 binding upon private land owners by the provision 
 that after the plan is adopted no compensation 
 shall be allowed for structures erected, or other im- 
 provements made, which do not conform to it. 
 Thus if a land owner builds a house within the lines 
 of a street as it appears on the plan, the city, when 
 it condemns and takes the land for the street, pays 
 the land owner only for the land, giving him noth- 
 ing for the house. In this country, however, such a 
 provision is held to be unconstitutional as a taking 
 of a property right without compensation. 
 
 Various methods of preventing some of the more 
 flagrant violations of the city plan by land owners 
 have been adopted in this country with some suc- 
 cess; and although none of them have been thor- 
 oughly tested in the courts, yet many of them seem 
 to have a sound legal basis. Perhaps the most fre- 
 quent and most serious infringement of the plan is 
 the private street. All too often it is laid out by 
 the land owner for the immediate sale of his land 
 at the greatest immediate profit, without regard to 
 the real interests of the purchaser or the city as a 
 whole. The city may, of course, refuse to accept or 
 improve it; but even if it has the courage to persist 
 in its refusal after the street is constructed, the lots 
 sold, and houses built on them by innocent if ig- 
 norant and careless purchasers, the damage is done, 
 and the fact that the street is not public does not 
 improve the situation. In fact, there is no remedy 
 for the private-street evil but prevention. 
 
 As a method of prevention, Akron's new charter 
 refuses record to maps or plans of real estate sub- 
 divisions unless accompanied by a certificate of ap- 
 proval from a proper city official. In an extensive 
 real estate development it is customary to make 
 and record a map of the streets with the house 
 lots on them, and deeds to purchasers are made 
 with reference to this map or plan. The pur- 
 pose of this legislation is to preclude unauthorized 
 developments by forbidding the record of such a 
 plan, without which it is difficult to sell lands.' But 
 this law does not attempt to prevent the giving of 
 deeds with the description by metes and bounds. 
 A much more complete remedy would be to forbid 
 the record of any deed in fact transferring land on 
 an unauthorized street. Such a law would be ef- 
 fective; for no one in this country will buy land 
 without a record title. In all probability, also, it 
 would be legal. 
 
 71 
 
The law just suggested would not keep a man 
 from making such use as he chose of his own laiid. 
 In such ways serious violations of the city plan 
 occur. Often the owners of land on a future street 
 intended, perhaps, as an important artery, and 
 planned to be of suflBcient width for this purpose, 
 themselves build within the lines of the street, so 
 that it becomes impossible for the city without dis- 
 proportionate expense to construct it of sufficient 
 width; or build entirely across it, so that, prac- 
 tically, it must be given up. Many times, too, land 
 put down on the city map as a park, or the site of 
 a public building, is used by its private owner in 
 any one of many ways which render it practically 
 impossible for the city, if it takes the land, to make 
 the intended use of it. Any law which by the es- 
 tablishment of a city plan or in any other way ab- 
 solutely forbids the owner to use his land in these 
 ways is, as we have seen, unconstitutional in this 
 country, and some measure which will to some ex- 
 tent at least accomplish the desired result with a 
 less invasion of property rights, must be devised. 
 
 It has been suggested that the owner of land in- 
 tending to build on it or improve it in any way 
 contrary to the provisions of the city plan, should 
 be required, before the building permit or other 
 license should issue, to give a notice of perhaps six 
 months, within which time the city could purchase 
 the land if it so desired. Such a provision necessa- 
 rily assumes that a city plan has already been made 
 and adopted, to which any land owner can at all 
 times refer. In law it would be regarded as a police 
 regulation, and sustained as such; for although it 
 does undoubtedly interfere with the owner's use of 
 this land as he pleases, it does so only temporarily 
 and to a much less extent than regulations such as 
 the limitation without compensation of the height 
 of buildings, upheld by the courts. The effect of 
 this provision would probably be to stop ignorant 
 violations of the plan, and minor infractions of it 
 not worth the delay they entail, without expense to 
 the city or hardship to the land owner. More seri- 
 ous infractions the city could prevent by taking the 
 necessary interest in the property and paying for 
 it, as in such cases no doubt, in justice to the land 
 owner, it should. 
 
 II. Relocation of Public and 
 Semi-Public Buildings 
 
 In his civic survey Mr. Nolen has pointed out 
 the need of relocating a number of Akron's impor- 
 
 tant buildings. He has suggested that in so doing 
 some of them be grouped, and that in their new 
 situations, whether grouped or single, ample space 
 be secured for them, and, wherever necessary, the 
 street system be replanned to afford convenient 
 access. 
 
 Under the Ohio Constitution "A municipality 
 appropriating or otherwise acquiring property for 
 public use may in furtherance of such public use 
 appropriate or acquire an excess over that actually 
 to be occupied by the improvement, and may sell 
 such excess with such restrictions as shall be ap- 
 propriate to preserve the improvement made." 
 
 The uses to which excess land may be put are 
 the same whether it is acquired with or without the 
 consent of the owner. The constitutionality of the 
 grant of the power to take excess lands with the 
 consent of the owner is clear. It is only excess con- 
 demnation, or the grant of the power to take the 
 lands against the will of the proprietor, that is 
 doubtful. 
 
 Before taking up in detail the purposes for which 
 excess appropriation may be employed and the con- 
 stitutionality of excess condemnation or such appro- 
 priation when made without the consent of the 
 owner, it may be well to point out an important 
 practical difference between it and condemnation 
 ordinarily so called. 
 
 In so far as an abundant supply of land for a 
 municipal improvement is acquired for the perma- 
 nent occupancy of the public, it may-be taken by 
 the ordinary condemnation proceedings, without 
 resorting to excess condemnation. It is impossible 
 for the courts to say just how much land should be 
 bought for the site of a new city hall or court house, 
 or just how wide the parking strip should be along- 
 side a public street; and so long as a city manifestly 
 and in good faith takes the land for such purposes, 
 the court will interfere only in an extreme case, not 
 likely practically to occur. It is when the land is 
 condemned with the intention of selling it again to 
 private parties, for private use, that in practice it 
 is necessary to resort to excess condemnation and 
 submit to such disadvantages as that course en- 
 tails. It should also be noted in this connection 
 that it is not the sale of the land by the city the 
 legality of which has been questioned. The right 
 of the city, subject in some cases to the permission 
 of the state legislature, to sell for private use any 
 land to which it has title if it finds that the land is 
 no longer needed, is fully established. It is only 
 
 72 
 
when the land is acquired with the intention of 
 reselling it that the doubts arise. 
 
 Excess condemnation may be used with advan- 
 tage in connection with municipal improvements for 
 the elimination of remnants, for the preservation of 
 light, air, and view, or for preserving or heightening 
 esthetic effects. 
 
 In laying out or widening streets, especially in 
 connection with the forming of an unusual building 
 site such as a civic group or important public build- 
 ing may require, remnants of lots are often left 
 which are too small for independent development. 
 These remnants, if shallow, cut off much land in 
 their rear from the new street, and if of irregular 
 shape, interfere with the use of neighboring land. 
 In any event, until used, these small vacant lots 
 give the street a bad appearance, and when used 
 for unsuitable buildings, permanently disfigure it. 
 Even if the remnants are finally united by private 
 initiative with the neighboring land, in lots of a 
 size and shape for suitable development, the delay 
 is invariably a long one, each owner feeling that, 
 although his lot is of little value, his neighbor can 
 do nothing without it and will therefore pay more 
 than it is intrinsically worth. This delay also oc- 
 casions a serious loss of income to the land owners 
 and of taxes to the city; and, by giving the street 
 at first a bad appearance, often permanently lowers 
 its character and land values on it. 
 
 The only adequate remedy for the remnant 
 seems to be its condemnation with enough neigh- 
 boring land to form suitable building lots, and the 
 resale of the lots so formed. It may be assumed 
 that this land is not needed permanently for public 
 occupancy or presumably it would have been taken 
 for the purpose by regular condemnation proceed- 
 ings. Its resale, therefore, puts it to its best use, 
 and saves the city needless expense. 
 
 Unquestionably light and air, and open space to 
 allow of their access, are essential to any structure 
 intended for human habitation. View, too, is an 
 adjunct to such a structure for which every land- 
 lord collects an added rent. It would seem clear, 
 therefore, that the taking of land and the resale of 
 it subject to such covenants as will safeguard or in- 
 crease the supply of light, and air, or breadth of 
 view, would add to the usefulness of public build- 
 ings and make streets more serviceable. There are 
 many ways in which restrictions in deeds given to 
 purchasers from the city might bring about this re- 
 sult, as, for instance, by preventing the erection 
 
 opposite the city's property of high structures in 
 rows, or by requiring that the structures built 
 should leave open a certain liberal fraction of the 
 lots on which they are to stand, or in design corre- 
 spond with and thus heighten the effect of the public 
 buildings. This control, if wisely exercised, will 
 usually add to the value of the neighboring prop- 
 erty, raise the price which the city can obtain for it, 
 and thus cost the city nothing. Even, however, if 
 the city is compelled to sell this land at some loss, 
 the expense of wise restrictions may without ques- 
 tion be justified on sound business principles. Cities 
 universally, and rightly, take pride in the appear- 
 ance of their public buildings. They spend money 
 in their adornment, and no one questions the wis- 
 dom, or the legal right, of the city to follow this 
 course. Experience shows that nothing so mars 
 the effect of a building as a neighboring develop- 
 ment out of keeping with it, nothing so enhances 
 that effect as a proper setting. A wise control of 
 neighboring land, restricting its use only so far as 
 is necessary, and selling the privilege of using it for 
 every other purpose and in every other way, would 
 therefore clearly seem to be in accord with sound 
 and economical business principles. 
 
 Excess condemnation in this country was first 
 introduced in New York in 1812, but in 1834, was 
 held to be unconstitutional. It was reintroduced in 
 Ohio and Massachusetts by statutes passed in 1904, 
 and later, in the same way, in several other states. 
 If legal, these statutes must be found to be in ac- 
 cordance with both their state and the United 
 States constitutions. From the first the validity of 
 the statutes was regarded as doubtful by many, 
 and little use was made of them. 
 
 The progress of city planning in this country has 
 rendered the decision in 1834 somewhat obsolete. 
 The only modern cases directly in point on excess 
 condemnation are in Massachusetts and Pennsyl- 
 vania, which are adverse; but there are decisions in 
 state and national courts more or less relevant, 
 which are favorable, and what may broadly be 
 called the trend of decision in the courts of this 
 country, especially in the Supreme Court of the 
 United States, seems to be in the same direction. 
 
 In order to eliminate the question of validity in 
 so far as the state constitution was concerned, a 
 number of states, among which is Ohio, have re- 
 cently passed amendments to their constitutions 
 granting the power. The only question which con- 
 cerns us in this inquiry is, therefore, the validity of 
 
 73 
 
the Ohio constitutional provision under the consti- 
 tution of the United States; but in order to deter- 
 mine that question it will be necessary for us briefly 
 to consider the entire question in all its phases. 
 
 The modern judicial authorities on excess con- 
 demnation in Massachusetts are in form opinions 
 of the justices, two in number, but so closely re- 
 lated as to be virtually one. They hold that where 
 the cutting of a new street leaves remnants of land, 
 the taking of these remnants, being a relatively 
 minor incident to the main undertaking, is legal; 
 but that the appropriation of additional lands for 
 the purpose of forming suitable lots to sell for pri- 
 vate use is clearly unconstitutional. They base 
 their opinion on the position- that property taken 
 for the purpose of transfer to private parties for 
 their own use could not under any circumstances 
 be a taking for a public use. The Pennsylvania 
 court, basing its opinion upon the same principle, 
 holds that the taking of additional land to preserve 
 view, appearance, light, air, etc., is also unconstitu- 
 tional. 
 
 The position taken by the Massachusetts and 
 Pennsylvania courts has been much weakened by 
 recent decisions of the Supreme Court of the United 
 States, holding that private advantage, such as the 
 development of a mine, the drainage of a swamp, or 
 the irrigation of arid land, privately owned, may be 
 so conducive to public prosperity and well-being as 
 to be a public use for which resort may be had to 
 the power of eminent domain. This doctrine has 
 much to be said in its favor, and in comparison the 
 doctrine announced by the Massachusetts and 
 Pennsylvania judges seems highly technical. The 
 commonwealth is composed of private people, and 
 it is still the theory of our law that the wealth and 
 property of the state should be in their hands for 
 development with such aids and limitations as the 
 state may impose. It would seem clear to the 
 layman that it would often be extremely desirable 
 to pass regulative measures aiding these private 
 citizens in this development, and that it might be 
 done in such a way as, far from injuring the other 
 members of the community, would be of benefit to 
 them; the question whether the particular use was 
 sufficiently widespread and of sufficient general im- 
 portance to be regarded in law as public bding one, 
 of course, to be settled on its merits in each specific 
 case. 
 
 There is another more technical criticism of the 
 Pennsyh'ania case, which in its successive steps is 
 
 supported by good judicial authority. That case 
 refuses to allow Philadelphia to take land adjacent 
 to a public improvement for the purpose of secur- 
 ing light, air, view, etc. In so far as land may be 
 appropriated by ordinary condemnation proceed- 
 ings it may be taken for the purpose of securing 
 access of light and air to neighboring property. It 
 has also been held that the power of eminent do- 
 main may be exercised for the sake of thus afford- 
 ing a view, and if this be considered an esthetic 
 purpose, it seems now to be the better opinion that 
 land may be taken for such a purpose. In law also 
 it is not necessary to condemn the fee or absolute 
 and entire title for any recognized public purpose, 
 but the legislature may, in its discretion, authorize 
 the appropriation of an easement or other fraction 
 of the title for that purpose. Now the result on the 
 one hand of the taking of an easement to secure 
 light and air or view over a given piece of land, or 
 of taking the right or easement to limit the height 
 of buildings or prescribe the architecture of struc- 
 tures to be erected on it, and on the other hand of 
 taking the entire title, selling off all the other 
 rights, and retaining nothing but the right to light, 
 air, view, or to limit the height' or prescribe the 
 architecture, is in the end precisely the same. The 
 difference is only in the method of obtaining the 
 same result; and it is universally held that to ac- 
 complish a legitimate purpose, the legislature has 
 free choice of methods. 
 
 In our examination of excess con<ienination in 
 this country we have been considering its expe- 
 diency and legal validity on principle and in the 
 light of legal authority. It is in this form that the 
 question arises in the consideration of a statute of 
 excess condemnation. In Ohio the power of excess 
 condemnation is conferred upon municipalities by 
 a provision of the state constitution. It remains to 
 consider the effect of this fact upon the general 
 question. 
 
 Nowhere in the Constitution of the United 
 States or of any of the states at the time of the 
 adoption of the national constitution,, was the right 
 expressly given our courts to invalidate legislative 
 acts. This unprecedented authority the courts as- 
 sumed by virtue of their own decisions, interpreting 
 these constitutions. Our courts, however, did not 
 take upon themselves this great power of over- 
 ruling the action of a coordinate branch of the 
 government without grave deliberation, and they 
 refuse to exercise it except in the clearest of cases 
 
 74 
 
They declare an act unconstitutional only when it 
 is so, in their opinion, beyond a reasonable doubt. 
 
 For the most part the attitude of state and na- 
 tional courts toward constitutional questions is the 
 same. When, however, a state statute declared 
 valid by the courts of that state, and especially a 
 constitutional provision like the provision in Ohio 
 conferring the power of excess condemnation upon 
 Ohio cities, comes before the Supreme Court of the 
 United States, it is there with all the weight of au- 
 thority of the state in its favor. When in addition 
 it is a question which, like condemnation in all its 
 phases, involves a determination of what in a given 
 locality constitutes a public use or advantage, it is 
 only for the very clearest of reasons that the 
 Supreme Court of the United States will declare 
 the state action to be unwarranted. It is a notice- 
 able fact that, as this court in a well-known decision 
 points out: 
 
 "No case is recalled where this court has con- 
 demned as a violation of the Fourteenth Amend- 
 ment a taking upheld by the state court, as a taking 
 for a public use in conformity with its laws." 
 
 There need, therefore, be no fear that the Su- 
 preme Court of the United States will, contrary to 
 its invariable practice of long standing, invalidate 
 a state constitutional provision, like Ohio's, estab- 
 lishing a practice for which there is so much to be 
 said as for excess condemnation. 
 
 III. Districting 
 
 In her home-rule charter just adopted, Akron 
 has been given the power of districting or zoning. 
 A consideration of this power is for that reason 
 especially important at this time. 
 1. The Principle. 
 
 The building restrictions known as districting or 
 zoning regulations are limitations which, unlike 
 ordinances that are the same for the entire city, 
 vary in different parts of it. This variety of regu- 
 lation is desirable on account of the varied uses to 
 which city land is put. 
 
 Districting regulations are of two sorts: regula- 
 tions of the bulk of buildings to be erected in the 
 various parts of the city, and regulations of the 
 uses for which, in the various sections, future build- 
 ings shall be constructed and present buildings 
 reconstructed — non-conforming uses in existing 
 buildings being allowed, almost invariably, to con- 
 
 tinue. With the growing employment of the bulk 
 regulation of buildings not only to prevent the 
 overcrowding of streets and other public features 
 of the city, but also to secure for as large a propor- 
 tion of the city's population as possible, at work 
 and at home, an adequate supply of light and air, 
 has come the recognition of the fact that it is prac- 
 tically impossible to enact adequate regulations of 
 this sort which shall be the same for all parts of the 
 city. 
 
 In all cities there are districts where there is 
 great concentration, as for instance in Akron's 
 business section. Usually, as in Akron, values have 
 adapted themselves to these conditions. To pass 
 regulations securing for land that is or may in future 
 become vacant in such a district, adequate light 
 and air, would be to discriminate sharply between 
 occupied and unoccupied lots in such districts, and 
 practically to confiscate not a small part of the 
 present value of those which are unoccupied. On 
 the other hand, any regulation that would be fair 
 to these congested districts would be practically in- 
 operative in large sections of the city where present 
 structures and values neither demand nor warrant 
 such intensity, and allow in them a gradual ap- 
 proach to the conditions in the most concentrated 
 parts of the city. Districting by bulk is therefore 
 the only practical method of preventing the spread 
 of congestion throughout a city and checking its 
 increase in the city as a whole. 
 
 The prevention of the increase and spread of 
 congestion is not the sole object of districting. Dis- 
 tricting is also the only method by which there can 
 be obtained that specialization in the use of city 
 land essential to its most economical and efficient 
 employment and its highest value. To attain such 
 specialization is the purpose of districting by use, 
 which will now be taken up. 
 
 By natural location and by location with rela- 
 tion to public utilities and development generally, 
 much of the land within a city is specially fitted for 
 certain uses. Thus in Akron heavy industry natu- 
 rally seeks the railway, the better class of housing is 
 for the most part located on high ground, and 
 workingmen's houses, near their work, or near 
 transit Hnes that will bring them cheaply and 
 quickly to it. 
 
 But location is not the only essential in the fit- 
 ness of land for its best use. A section of the city 
 suitable for residence, for instance, is often injured 
 for that purpose by the intrusion of a certain class 
 
 75 
 
of factory, with its attendant smoke, noise, and 
 odors; and, if a high-class residence section, by the 
 coming of business or even of the tenement house. 
 When industry or business is best suited to a dis- 
 trict, and land will sell higher for such purposes 
 than any other, the locality is bound to be trans- 
 formed, and nothing can be done or should be at- 
 tempted to prevent it. But intrusion often occurs 
 where this is not the fact. Cases are common in all 
 cities where a single factory has invaded a residence 
 street for some more or less accidental reason, and 
 no others have seen any advantage in following. 
 A slump in land values has been the result, be- 
 cause the locality was no longer so pleasant or 
 healthful to live in; and houses have been put to 
 uses to which they were ill adapted, or changed 
 over, or left vacant, to the loss of the owners and 
 the community. This is one of the commonest 
 causes of slums. 
 
 2. The Legality. 
 
 Building regulations of necessity limit the land 
 owner more or less in the use of his land. Since 
 they affect most if not all the land in the city, they 
 must be issued as police regulations, for which the 
 land owner receives no compensation; for if they 
 were established by eminent domain, with compen- 
 sation, the expense and burden of the proceedings 
 to determine the amounts due would be prohibitive. 
 The validity of these regulations, therefore, whether 
 they are the same for the entire city or vary by dis- 
 tricts, is dependent upon the question whether they 
 can be validly issued under the police power. 
 
 For many years cities have passed regulations of 
 the height, area, and use of buildings which are the 
 same throughout the city; and the courts have ac- 
 cepted proper regulations of this sort as valid. It 
 is only when these regulations vary in different parts 
 of the city that their legality is stiU in any doubt. 
 
 Evidently a districting regulation, to be author- 
 ized under the police power, like any measure 
 claimed to be an exercise of any power, must first 
 tend in a suflScient degree to accomplish a purpose 
 justifiable under that power, and secondly be free 
 from excess, unreasonableness, or similar adventi- 
 tious element. Thus a given height regulation to 
 be upheld as a police regulation by the courts must 
 materially promote the public health, safety, order, 
 or general welfare by conserving light or air, or pre- 
 venting congestion, etc., and must not be so drastic 
 as to lower land values unduly or be otherwise un- 
 
 reasonable. Districting regulations, however, are 
 challenged for the additional reason, not appHcable 
 to the others, that they do not afford to all the 
 equal protection of the laws guaranteed by our 
 constitutions. 
 
 It is well settled in our jurisprudence that the pro- 
 vision for equal protection of the laws does not prevent 
 reasonable classification. In accordance with this 
 principle, the courts have sustained laws for tene- 
 ment houses subjecting these structures, in which 
 the danger of disease and fire is greater, to more 
 stringent limitations than one- and two-family 
 houses; and height regulations varying with the 
 width of the street on which the buildings were to 
 be erected, thereby tending to secure in each an 
 equal supply of light and air; and fire limits in which 
 buildings of fire-resisting material must be con- 
 structed at greater expense than in the other parts 
 of the city where the fire risk was less. 
 
 The same considerations demand the same sup- 
 port for districting measures. Thus the central 
 business parts of the city, to facilitate the quick 
 transfers of business, require higher buildings, cov- 
 ering more of the lot, than the outlying sections; 
 and conversely the outlying residential districts 
 need lower buildings, with more space around them 
 for the comfort and health of adults, and especially 
 for the growing children. Modern science has es- 
 tablished the fact beyond question that human 
 beings need abundance of sun and air, and freedom 
 from nerve-racking noise, to a de^iee that it is 
 impossible to obtain in the manufacturing and 
 business parts of modern cities; and experience, 
 especially perhaps that of the English Garden Cities, 
 tends strongly to confirm these scientific facts; 
 which, indeed, are in accordance with common ob- 
 servation and common sense. If, therefore, these 
 conditions cannot be obtained in the business and 
 industrial parts of cities, it is all the more necessary 
 that they be furnished in greater abundance and 
 completeness in other sections. Moreover, the 
 types of building prevailing in the two sections and 
 the land prices in each of them make the varying 
 regulations more equal in burden and effect than 
 identical limitations would be. 
 
 In the same way use regulations varied to suit 
 the various uses prevailing and suitable in the 
 various parts of the city, properly conceived and 
 appHed, are measures of equality and not of discrim- 
 ination. Thus, if it were required that land access- 
 ible to the railroads and land on the remoter hills 
 
 76 
 
of Akron should in both cases be used either for 
 business or for residence, there would be a glaring 
 inequality of treatment; for in each case one could 
 be so used with advantage and profit, and the other 
 only at a loss. It may be claimed in any such case 
 that the specific regulations are inappropriate or 
 unwarrantably severe; but in districting, as in all 
 legislation, skill and knowledge must be used, or 
 defects are likely to make it legally invalid. 
 
 In the judicial decisions so far rendered with re- 
 gard to the validity of districting, the courts have 
 passed upon specific districting provisions and not 
 on districting as a whole. Thus the Massachusetts 
 courts, sustained by the Supreme Court of the 
 United States, have upheld a height districting 
 provision. There seems to be no difference in prin- 
 ciple between districting by height and districting 
 by area. It may, therefore, be regarded as reason- 
 ably certain that proper bulk districting is consti- 
 tutional. State courts, sustained by the Supreme 
 Court of the United States, have also held that 
 manufacturing which on any reasonable ground 
 may be deemed objectionable in a residential or 
 business neighborhood, even if not an actual nui- 
 sance, may be excluded. The legality of reasonable 
 use districting as a protection against manufactur- 
 ing may, therefore, be regarded as established. 
 Regulations excluding business from residential 
 neighborhoods have also been passed upon by state 
 courts, but not as yet by the Supreme Court of the 
 
 United States, and so far the decisions have been 
 almost uniformly adverse. The question may, 
 however, still be regarded as an open one. The rea- 
 son given, in most of the decisions, for holding the 
 exclusion of business from residential districts to be 
 invalid as a police regulation is that it is based upon 
 esthetic considerations. Certainly, as a general 
 statement of the case for such districting, this is 
 most inadequate and, therefore, unfair. The in- 
 trusion of business into residential districts often 
 interferes with comfort and convenience in these 
 districts, as is shown by a drop in land values. As 
 an isolated provision, a measure excluding business 
 from such districts might well be considered as a 
 taking of property rights from one land owner for 
 the advantage of others. If, however, business is 
 excluded as a part of a complete and weU-considered 
 plan, which includes all the land in the city in its 
 various provisions, and assigns to business its 
 proper place, for its own good as well as the ad- 
 vantage of others, residential land is benefited cer- 
 tainly without loss to business property, and as a 
 rule, to its gain. None of the cases which have as 
 yet arisen have been with regard to such a compre- 
 hensive plan. When such a case does arise, there 
 is reason to hope, with the increasing appreciation 
 of the great advantage of districting and city plan- 
 ning generally and the need of protecting business 
 as a part of it, that the courts wUl sustain such 
 provisions. 
 
 77 
 
Appendix 
 
List of Planning Studies Presented Earlier 
 
 BY 
 
 John Nolen, City Planner 
 
 October, 1916 . 
 June, 1917 . . 
 June, 1917 . . 
 August, 1917. . 
 September, 1917 
 
 Report on Housing in Relation to City Planning. 74 pages, 
 plans and illustrations. 
 
 Report accompanying Sketct showing the Proposed Scheme 
 for the North Hill Viaduct. 
 
 Report accompanying Study for Better Crossing at South High 
 Street and Miller Avenue. 
 
 Reports relative to Street Railway Extensions proposed by the 
 Northern Ohio Traction and Light Company. 
 
 Report on Survey and Preliminary Plan for Akron, Ohio. 55 
 pages, maps, plans, and diagrams. 
 
 81 
 
List of Maps 
 
 Diagrams and plans collected or prepared to date as a basis for study of city planning 
 problems in Akron. 
 
 Where numbers are omitted from the list, they refer to records and studies used in the 
 office of the City Planner, which have been superseded by later drawings. 
 
 Plan No. Title Scale 
 
 1. Plat Book, City of Akron and Vicinity 
 
 2. Atlas of Summit County _ 
 
 3. City Map 900' to 1 
 
 4. City Directory Map 800' to 1 
 
 5. Map showing Ward Boundaries, 1915 800' to 1 
 
 6. Map showing Contours according to Recorded Street Grades .... 400' to 1 
 
 7. Map of Ohio .... 8 m. to 1 
 
 8. U. S. Geological Survey Ohio; 4 Quadrangles Akron and Vicinity ... 1 m. to 1 
 
 9. U. S. Geological Survey Ohio; Akron and Kent Quadrangles 1 m. to 1 
 
 10. Map showing New City Extension 2500' to 1 
 
 11. Contour Map of City; contour interval 20' . 2200' to 1 
 
 12. Diagram of Car Lines ... 800' to 1 
 
 13. Diagram of Sewer System 800' to 1 
 
 14. Diagram of Water System 800' to 1 
 
 15. Diagram of Public Utilities 800' to 1 
 
 16. Diagram of Main Traffic Thoroughfares 800' to 1 
 
 17. Railroad Map of Ohio ... 8 m. to 1 
 
 18. Summit County Road Map, 1916 
 
 19. Official Interurban Map, 1915 .... 
 
 20. U. S. Geological Survey; 6 Quadrangles Akron and Vicinity . . : . . 1 m. to 1" 
 
 21. Study for Union Station and Civic Center; existing conditions . . . 100' to 1" 
 
 22. Study for Proposed Location of Union Station and Civic Center . . . 100' to 1" 
 
 23. Photographic Print, Akron and Vicinity . . 3200' to 1" 
 
 24. Real Estate Map showing Locations of Subdivisions 2200' to 1" 
 
 27. City Map, Lithograph ... ... 1100' to 1" 
 
 28. Grade Separation from south of Market Street to south of Main Street. 100' to 1" 
 
 29. Map of Distribution System of Akron Water Works Company .... 400' to 1" 
 
 30. City Map 400' to 1" 
 
 33. Diagram of Existing Parks . . . . 800' to 1" 
 
 34. Study of Proposed Street Railway Extensions . . 1100' to 1" 
 
 35. Diagram of Public and Semi-Public Properties 800' to 1" 
 
 37. Diagram of Railroad and Industrial Properties 800' to 1" 
 
 38. Key Map Industrial Properties 800' to 1" 
 
 39. Diagram of School Properties 800' to 1" 
 
 40. City Map, Basis for City Plan 800' to 1" 
 
 41. Curve of Population, 1916 
 
 42. Residential Street Sections 
 
 45. Study for Approaches and Extension of North Hill Viaduct . . . . 200' to 1" 
 
 46. Contour Map of City; contour interval 10' 800' to 1" 
 
 47. Diagram Present Building Distribution 800' to 1" 
 
 48. Diagram Land Values ■ .■ • . 800' to 1" 
 
 49 a. Plan for Extension of High Street and its connection with South Main 
 
 Street 200' to 1" 
 
 82 
 
Plan No. Title Scale 
 496. Plan for Extension of High Street and its connection with South Main 
 
 Street 200' to 1" 
 
 50. Public Utilities 800' to 1" 
 
 51. Preliminary City Plan 800' to 1" 
 
 52. Diagram of Distribution of Population, 1916 
 
 53. Study for Extension of Car Lines 1100' to 1" 
 
 54. Glendale Viaduct 50' to 1" 
 
 55. Glendale Viaduct 300' to 1" 
 
 56. Main, Howard, and Quarry Streets; Intersection 200' to 1" 
 
 57. Proposed Vista Walk from Main Street to Court House 100' to 1" 
 
 58. Study for Civic Center and Railroad Station 100' to 1" 
 
 60. Business Streets; Sections of 60', 80', and 99' Streets 20' to 1" 
 
 61. General Plan; showing Street and Park Systems,. Public Building Sites 
 
 and Other City Planning Features 800' to 1" 
 
 62. ■ Proposed Parks; Diagram showing Areas to be used for Park Purposes 
 
 and the connecting Parked Streets 800' to 1" 
 
 63. Zone Plan; Diagram showing Building Districts Designated according 
 
 to Use 800' to 1" 
 
 64. Main Thoroughfares; Diagram showing the Radial and Circumferential 
 
 System of Traffic Streets 800' to 1" 
 
 65. North Hill — East Akron Drive 800' to 1" 
 
 83 
 
City Planning Authority for Akron 
 
 Extract from the New Charter for Akron, adopted by the people at the election held November 5, 1918. 
 
 Section 100. City Planning Commission. There is hereby created a City Planning 
 Commission composed of seven members, of whom five shall be appointed by the mayor, 
 by and with the advice and consent of the council, for terms of five years, respectively; 
 provided, however, that when the first city planning commission shall be appointed under 
 the provisions herein, the members thereof shall be appointed for one, two, three, four 
 and five years respectively. The chief administrator and the mayor shall be ex-officio 
 members of such commission. The city engineer shall be ex-officio chief engineer and 
 secretary of such commission. 
 
 Section 101. Platting Commission. The planning commission shall exercise the 
 duties and functions of a platting commission, and shall be empowered to make plans and 
 maps of the whole or of any portion of the city, and also of any land outside the city within 
 a distance of three miles beyond the limits of the city. No plat or plan subdividing the 
 land within the city limits or within three miles beyond the city limits shall be entitled to 
 be recorded in the office of the recorder of Summit county without the approval of the 
 planning commission. 
 
 Section 102. Powers and Duties. In addition to the powers and duties mentioned 
 in the preceding section, and such other powers and duties as the council may confer upon 
 the planning commission, it shall have the following powers and duties: (1) It shall have 
 the power to determine whether property shall be acquired or condemned for park, boule- 
 vard or recreation purposes or for the enlarging of any park or the widening or extension 
 of any boulevard, and no property shall be so acquired or condemned without the approval 
 of the commission. No vacation or sale of property shall be made by council without first 
 obtaining the approval of the commission. 
 
 (2) It shall provide the plans for all original landscape work to be done by the city in 
 parks or boulevards hereafter acquired. 
 
 (3) It shall study and investigate the general plan of the city; it shall formulate plans 
 for the development and improvement of parks and parkways, for the extension and ©pen- 
 ing of streets and other public ways, for the preservation of natural and historic features; 
 and shall keep in constant touch with all the needs of the city that have relation to the 
 plan and to the beautffication thereof. 
 
 (4) It shall formulate plans to empower the inhabitants of any section or district of the 
 city to accept, acquire or maintain parks, parkways, recreation places, or other public 
 grounds; to open, construct, clean, extend and maintain public streets, alleys, boulevards 
 and other public ways; to construct, maintain and extend sewers, waterways, aqueducts 
 or underground conduits of any kind, and to make the necessary excavations for the same; 
 to build, construct and maintain bridges, viaducts, tunnels, docks, wharves or other public 
 improvements which the said planning commission or the council may deem essential to 
 the safety, beautification or welfare of said section or district, or necessary to the comfort, 
 convenience, health, safety or well-being of the inhabitants thereof; and in the event that 
 the said inhabitants of any such section or district shall be authorized by ordinance to 
 exercise any of the powers above mentioned, the said planning commission shall formulate 
 plans to determine in what manner such inhabitants may incur indebtedness incident to 
 the exercise of such powers, and to tax or otherwise assess themselves to pay such indebted- 
 ness; provided, however, that any such indebtedness shall not be a liability upon the city 
 as a whole. 
 
 (5) It shall formulate plans to empower the residents or freeholders of any street, alley, 
 boulevard or other public way to extend or otherwise improve such street, alley, boule- 
 
 84 
 
vard or other public way, or to construct sewers or conduits, or provide other necessary or 
 desirable improvements; provided, that in the event that any such extension, improve- 
 ment or construction shall be authorized by ordinance, the said planning commission shall 
 formulate the plans to determine in what manner such residents or freeholders may incur 
 indebtedness incident to such extension, improvement or construction, and to tax or other- 
 wise assess property to pay such indebtedness; provided, also, that the said commission 
 may formulate plans to authorize the residents or freeholders of adjacent, contiguous or 
 nearby territory to share in the payment of such indebtedness. No such indebtedness 
 shall be a liability upon the city as a whole, but shall be limited to the territory especially 
 benefited by such extension, improvement or construction, as said commission may 
 determine. 
 
 (6) It shall formulate plans to regulate the height, design, location upon lot, elevation 
 above street grade, and bulk, of buildings and structures hereafter erected; to control, 
 regulate or restrict the distribution of dwellings or other structures or property for the 
 purpose of residence, manufacturing, trade and transaction, and to divide the city into 
 districts for the purposes aforesaid; to eliminate fire hazards; to abolish unsanitary, un- 
 healthful, or unwholesome housing conditions; and to investigate all matters pertaining to 
 the living conditions of the people. 
 
 (7) It shall investigate the need of and suggest plans for the extension of water supply 
 and sewerage disposal; the co-ordination of transportation; the relief of traffic conditions; 
 and the adequate extension and distribution of equipment and service of public utilities. 
 
 (8) It shall act in an advisory capacity to the council and other city departments in 
 relation to plans for the location of public buildings, bridges, approaches or other struc- 
 tures, and in relation to all other matters pertaining to the convenience, safety and well- 
 being of the people. 
 
 (9) Subsequent to its investigations and formulation of plans, the planning commission 
 shall transmit its recommendations to the council, and the council may, if it approves of 
 such recommendations, grant to the said commission the power add authority to enforce 
 such recommendations. 
 
 (10) The council shall provide the planning commission with necessary funds for the 
 cariymg on of its work, and shall provide for the employment by the commission of ade- 
 quate clerical, engineering and other expert assistance. 
 
 85 
 
Requirements for Plats of New Allotments 
 
 Adopted by the Aki'on Planning Commission 
 
 1. All side lines of lots to be laid out at right angles to streets, radial lines on curved streets. 
 
 2. Minimum building line to be fifteen (15) feet. Greater distances will be prescribed where depth of 
 
 lots and neighborhood conditions warrant. 
 
 A. Building lines to be shown in red and so marked. 
 
 3. Sidewise building restriction to be minimum of six and one-half (6j^) feet on each side of a 40-foot lot 
 
 or less; seven and one-half feet or more on each side of a lot in excess of 40 feet. This notation to 
 appear on Plat. 
 
 4. Corner lots, to be wide enough to permit a side street building restriction, to conform with proposed 
 
 building restriction on side streets, minimum 15 feet. 
 
 5. No barn, garage, or other separate outbuilding permitted on corner lots. Garage may be built as part 
 
 of residence. This notation to appear on Plat. 
 
 6. Location of barn, garage, or other outbuildings to be on rear of lots, distance from front to be pre- 
 
 scribed by the Planning Commission. 
 
 A. On lots adjoining corner lots on front streets, barn, garage, or other outbuilding prohibited 
 unless corner and adjoining lots together are wide enough to permit of such an outbuilding 
 to be built at far end of inside lot, at a distg,nce sufficiently far from side street line to bring 
 said outbuilding in line with outbuildings in rear of side street lots. 
 
 7. Street corner to be rounded at radius of three (3) feet or more. 
 
 8. All Plats to show monuments at block corners, same must be set to the final sidewalk grade. If the 
 
 streets are not graded when the Plat is accepted a certified check, the amount to be determined by 
 the Engineer of the Planning Comm'ssion, is to be made out payable to the City of Akron for the 
 setting of the monuments, which is returned after the monuments are set. The Plat must show the 
 proposed location of all monuments. 
 
 9. Plats must bear the following notation: viz., The plan, design, location, and grade lines of any struc- 
 
 ture to be erected on this allotment shall be first submitted to and approved by the Planning Com- 
 mission of the City of Akron, Ohio. 
 
 10. All plats to be drawn to a scale of 50 feet to one inch upon sheets 26 inches wide by 24 incnes high or 
 
 multiples thereof. Where size is over 26 x 24 inches, engineer will rule off the sections in 26 x 24 inch 
 parallelograms in green ink, making divisions on lot or street lines as nearly as possible. 
 
 11. Street signs of design approved by the Service Director to be erected at intersecting streets by Allot- 
 
 ment Owners. 
 
 12. A bond in amount to be determined by Service Director with sureties satisfactory to him, to be given 
 
 by allotment owners to guarantee grading of new streets and public places, laying of 6-foot cinder 
 walks and erecting street signs satisfactory to the Service Director. 
 
 13. An Abstract showing good title iri Allotment Owners to new streets and public places to be examined 
 
 by City Solicitor, and his approval of such title to be filed in writing with the Secretary of the City 
 Planning Commission before Plat will be finally approved. 
 
 14. Where needed for future public use, reservations will be made for Parks and open spaces. Not less than 
 
 five (5) per cent of all allotted lands shall be dedicated by Allotter for Park and Playground purposes. 
 
 15. All streets to be coterminous with existing streets at same or greater widths. 
 
 16. Gross streets to be located at intervals of not more than six hundred (600) feet. 
 
 f Vertical 1" to 20' 1 
 
 17. Profile: Scale | jjofjgontal 1" to 100' [ ^^^^'^ '^^ profile tracing cloth ten (10) inches wide must be 
 
 turned over to the City Engineer for his files before the approval of the Plat and before the grading 
 of the streets is started. The City Engineer will O.K. or change the suggested grade on same. 
 
 18. The grade of streets as established by Council, or if a property is located outside the city limits, grades 
 
 are to be designated by the Director of Public Service, which grades, whether provided by ordinance 
 
 86 
 
or prescribed by the Director, shall be designated at all street intersections and at the outer property 
 lines of allotments. 
 
 19. The maximum depth of corner lots is 125 feet. 
 
 20. Plats to show names of all adjoining allotments with book and page number in record. 
 
 21. Give lengths of tangents, chords, and angle for all center line curves on streets. 
 
 22. Give tangents, chords, radius, and angle at all corners. 
 
 23. Give chord lengths, arcs, tangents, and angles for frontage on every lot on curves. 
 
 24. Give all interior angles for every lot. 
 
 25. The profiles must have names of all streets, with plusses to same. They shall also show the name of 
 
 the Engineer, the Bench Mark used, elevation of same, and date when levels were run. 
 
 26. The original plat is the property of the Planning Commission. 
 
 27. The City Engineer will take all levels for street profiles and establish all grades, charging actual cost 
 
 to allotment owners. 
 
 Set-Back or Building Lines Established by the Akron City Council 
 
 Ord. No. 6219. Passed February 24, 1919. 
 
 1. South Main Street, from Chestnut Street to South Corporation Line: Set back 12 feet on each 
 
 side, increasing the width to 84 feet. 
 
 2. East Market Street, from High to College: 5 feet on each side, increasing the width to 70 feet. 
 
 Also from College to the East Corporation Line: 7 feet on each side, increasing the width to 74 
 feet. 
 
 Ord. No. 6245. Passed April 14, 1919. 
 
 3. West Exchange Street, from Locust to West Corporation Line: 12 feet on east side, increasing the 
 
 width to 84 feet. 
 
 4. East Exchange, from Washington to East Market Street: 12 feet on each side, increasing the width 
 
 to 84 feet. 
 
 5. Goodyear Ave., from Market to Martha: 10 feet on each side, increasing the width to 70 feet. 
 
 6. Grant Street, from Exchange to South: 12 J^ feet on each side. From South to Archwood 5 feet on 
 
 each side; increasing the width to 70 feet. 
 
 7. South High Street, from Broadway to South: 26 feet on the west side; from South to Long: 6 feet 
 
 on west side; and from Long to Miller 16 feet on west side, increasing the width to 66 feet. 
 
 8. South Howard Street, from the angle south of Mill to Quarry Street: 4 feet on each side, increasing 
 
 the width to 68 feet. 
 
 9. West Market Street, from Howard to Walnut: 8 feet on the south side, and from Walnut to West 
 
 Corporation Line : 7 feet on eacli side, increasing the width to 74 feet. 
 10. Ash Street, from Mill to Bowery: 6 feet on the south side, increasing the width to 51 feet. 
 
 The following set-back lines have also been recommended. 
 
 1. South Arlington Street, from Market to South Corporation Line: 10 feet on each side, increasing 
 
 the width to 80 feet. 
 
 2. Wooster Avenue, from Pine Street to East Avenue: 10 feet on each side, increasing the width to 80 
 
 feet. 
 
 3. Bowery Street, from Wooster to South: 10 feet on each side, increasing the width to 80 feet. 
 
 4. South Street, from Main to Spicer: 10 feet on each side, increasing the width to 80 feet. 
 
 5. Johnston Street, from -Spicer to Arlington: 10 feet on each side, increasing the width to 80 feet. 
 
 6. West South Street, from Main to Manchester Road : 10 feet on each side, increasing the width to 80 
 
 feet. 
 
 87 
 
Industrial Plants in Akron 
 1918 
 
 Akron Soap Company 
 
 Dnro Brick Company 
 
 McCausland Brothers 
 
 Akron Gravel & Sand Company 
 
 J. A. Brandon & Son 
 
 Borst Cement Block Company 
 
 Swinehart Tire & B.ubber Company 
 
 American Rubber & Tire Company 
 
 Quaker Oats Company 
 
 Pfahl Gauge Company 
 
 G. A. Collins & Son Company 
 
 B. & M. Machine Company 
 
 Akron Hardwood Floor Company 
 
 Schueneman Printing Company 
 
 Kittelberger Electric Company 
 
 Geo. C. Jackson Printing Company 
 
 Nitz & Darkow 
 
 Premium Candy, Cone & Corn Company 
 
 Ben Franklin Printing Company 
 
 May-Fiebeger Company 
 
 Akron Tent & Awning Company 
 
 Klages Coal & Ice Company 
 
 Enterprise Manufacturing Company 
 
 Akron Metallic Casket Company 
 
 Gregory Rubber Company 
 
 Akron Cultivator Company 
 
 Robinson Clay Product Company 
 
 Renner Brewing Company 
 
 Superior Printing Company 
 
 Excelsior Stamp Works 
 
 E. L. Geib Machine Company 
 
 Roath Manufacturing Company 
 
 Star Planing Mill Company 
 
 Williams Foundry & Machine Company 
 
 Bridgwater Machine Company 
 
 Akron Belting Company 
 
 J. P. Brennan 
 
 Akron Brush Works 
 
 Geo. L. Curtice Printing Company 
 
 United Hat Manufacturing Company 
 
 S. Plotkin Bedding Company 
 
 Akron Store Fixture Company 
 
 Sackman Mfg. Company 
 
 Taplia-Rice-Clerkin Company 
 
 Akron File Company 
 
 Wise Furnace Company 
 
 Akron Polishing & Plating Company 
 
 Lyon Rubber Company 
 
 Taylor Printing Company 
 
 O'Neil Tire & Protector Company 
 
 Summit Lumber & Building Company 
 
 Egg Baking Powder Company 
 
 Akron Baking Company 
 
 U. S. Stoneware Company 
 
 B. F. Goodrich Company 
 
 Adamson Machine Company 
 
 Buckeye Sewer Pipe Company 
 
 Lapp Cooperage Company 
 
 Biggs Boiler Works 
 
 Summit China Company 
 
 American Sewer Pipe Company 
 
 Ohio Wire Goods Company 
 
 Portage Lumber & Building Company 
 
 A. J. Weeks 
 
 Hill Sewer Pipe Company 
 
 Atlantic Foundry Company 
 
 Burger Iron Company 
 
 Diamond Foundry Company 
 
 Caruthers-Terry Preserving Company 
 
 Ohio Stoneware Company 
 
 M. F. Christensen & Company 
 
 International Harvester Company 
 
 Whitman & Barnes Manufacturing Company 
 
 S. & O. Engraving Company 
 
 Wadsworth Core Machine & Equipment Company 
 
 Thomas Phillips Company * 
 
 Jones & Kuhlke 
 
 Lyman-Hawkins Lumber Company 
 
 American Hard Rubber Company 
 
 The A. Petersen Company 
 
 Tanner-Hower Manufacturing Company 
 
 Akron-Selle Company 
 
 Star Drilling Machine Company 
 
 Akron Lumber Company 
 
 Philadelphia Rubber Works Company 
 
 Akron Gas Lamp Company 
 
 Die Sinking & Machine Company 
 
 Akron Extract & Chemical Company 
 
 Weeks Lumber Company 
 
 Akron Foundry Company 
 
 Prudential Heating Company 
 
 Burkhart Brewing Company 
 
 Mohawk Rubber Company 
 
 Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company 
 
 Kelly-Springfield Company 
 
 Summit Foundry Company 
 
 88 
 
M. A. Knight 
 
 Akron Brick & Tile Company 
 
 Cooper Brick Company 
 
 Crouse Clay Product Company 
 
 Akron Mattress Manufacturing Company 
 
 Akron Roofing Tile Company 
 
 Akron Brewing Company 
 
 Portage Pretzel Company 
 
 O. C. Pike Rubber Company 
 
 Majestic Rubber Company 
 
 H. F. M. Block Company 
 
 Akron Rubber Mold & Machine Company 
 
 Akron Mirror & Glass Works 
 
 Ornamental Iron Works Company 
 
 Akron Gear & Engineering Company 
 
 Burt Manufacturing Company 
 
 Fisher Brothers 
 
 Akron Welding Company 
 
 Twentieth Century Heating & Ventilating Company 
 
 Mechanical Mold & Machine Company 
 
 Akron Truss Company 
 
 Union Printing Ink Company 
 Star Rubber Company 
 Colonial Sign & Insulator Company 
 L. W. Camp Company 
 Standard Oilcloth Company 
 Firestone Tire & Rubber Company 
 McNeil Boiler Company 
 Brown-Graves-Vincent Company 
 Punctureless Tire Company 
 Imperial Electric Company 
 SaaMeld Publishing Company 
 South End Machine Company 
 Baker-McMillen Company 
 Akron Window Weight Company 
 Jahant Heating Company 
 Windsor Brick Company 
 Knapp & Sons 
 Miller Rubber Company 
 Akron Varnish Company 
 Wellman-Seaver-Morgan Company 
 Colonial Salt Company 
 
 89 
 
Range in Land Values 
 
 Akron, Ohio 
 
 Range per 
 Front Foot 
 
 Cost of Lot Based 
 on 40' Width 
 
 Character of Occupancy 
 
 Average Cost of House 
 
 Less than 
 $10 
 
 $400 
 
 Farm land, and lots for 
 detached houses in sub- 
 divisions without public 
 utilities 
 
 $2,000 
 
 $10-$30 
 
 $400-$l,200 
 
 Lost-cost houses and 
 multiple dwellings 
 
 $2,000-$4,800 
 
 $30-$60 
 
 $l,200-$2,400 
 
 Medium-cost houses 
 
 $4,800-$9,600 
 
 $60-$100 
 
 $2,400-$4,000 
 
 Best Tresidences 
 
 $9,600-$16,000 
 
 $100-$500 
 
 $4,000-$20,000 
 
 Small stores and apart- 
 ments 
 
 Note: 
 
 The break in values be- 
 
 $500-$l,000 $20,000-$40,000 
 
 Good retail business 
 
 tween business and residen- 
 tial properties is bridged by 
 exceptionally high residen- 
 tial values and the more 
 isolated lower-cost store 
 locations • 
 
 Over $1,000 
 
 $40,000 
 
 Best retail and financial 
 district 
 
 In the "Principles of City Land Values," by Richard M. Hurd, the following average values 
 are given : 
 
 City Population Best Business per Front Foot Best Residences per Front Foot 
 
 100,000 $l,200-$2,000 $75-$150 
 
 150,000 $l,500-$2,500 $100-$200 
 
 90 
 
Financial Statistics* 
 
 Comparison of Akron with Other Cities 
 
 
 Population 
 Estimated 
 for 1915 
 
 Popula- 
 tion 
 per Acre 
 
 Per Capita 
 Assessed 
 ValuUion 
 
 Tax Rate 
 Baaed on 
 Irue Val. 
 Esti- 
 mated 
 
 Per 
 
 Capita 
 
 Net 
 Indebt- 
 edness 
 
 Per Capita 
 Assets 
 
 Expenditures Per Capita 
 
 Cities 
 
 Total 
 
 for 
 
 Gen. 
 
 Depts. 
 
 Police 
 
 Fire 
 
 Healtli 
 
 Charities, 
 Hos- 
 pitals, 
 Correc- 
 tion 
 
 Schools 
 
 Recrea- 
 tion 
 
 Columbus 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Ohio . 
 
 204,567 
 
 14.4 
 
 1,348.31 
 
 10.93 
 
 49.10 
 
 106.43 
 
 13.76 
 
 1.17 
 
 1.46 
 
 2.11 
 
 0.29 
 
 5.13 
 
 0.14 
 
 BlBMINQHAM 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 AlA. . 
 
 164,165 
 
 5.1 
 
 582.06 
 
 6.00 
 
 35.57 
 
 29.96 
 
 8.92 
 
 1.07 
 
 1.43 
 
 0.93 
 
 0.28 
 
 3.09 
 
 0.14 
 
 Memphis 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Tenn 
 
 143,231 
 
 11.5 
 
 866.28 
 
 9.48 
 
 85.80 
 
 132.74 
 
 14.29 
 
 1.66 
 
 1.49 
 
 1.48 
 
 0.79 
 
 3.74 
 
 1.03 
 
 Grand Rapids 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Mich. . . . 
 
 123,860 
 
 11.3 
 
 918.71 
 
 16.58 
 
 30.56 
 
 71.91 
 
 14.06 
 
 1.39 
 
 1.87 
 
 1.39 
 
 0.34 
 
 6.89 
 
 0.58 
 
 Bridoepobt 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Conn 
 
 116,076 
 
 12.4 
 
 1,013.09 
 
 17.69 
 
 22.58 
 
 61.91 
 
 14.58 
 
 1.77 
 
 2.01 
 
 1.67 
 
 1.03 
 
 3.99 
 
 0.47 
 
 Habtford 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Conn. . 
 
 107,621 
 
 10.6 
 
 1,608.54 
 
 15.78 
 
 81.90 
 
 172.47 
 
 20.92 
 
 2.29 
 
 2.63 
 
 2.15 
 
 1.25 
 
 7.31 
 
 1.04 
 
 Taooma 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Wash 
 
 103,418 
 
 4.1 
 
 607.50 
 
 11.37 
 
 96.08 
 
 166.27 
 
 14.19 
 
 1.06 
 
 2.38 
 
 0.83 
 
 0.13 
 
 5.20 
 
 0.76 
 
 YOUNGSTOWN 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Ohio . 
 
 100,593 
 
 6.3 
 
 1,627.40 
 
 9.05 
 
 39.27 
 
 74.82 
 
 10.84 
 
 1.21 
 
 1.12 
 
 0.86 
 
 0.46 
 
 4.76 
 
 0.18 
 
 Schenectady 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 N.Y. . 
 
 91,012 
 
 17.7 
 
 672.39 
 
 27.62 
 
 51.46 
 
 81.22 
 
 13.81 
 
 1.28 
 
 1.27 
 
 2.34 
 
 0.68 
 
 4.94 
 
 0.11 
 
 AKRON 
 OHIO .... 
 
 80,291 
 
 11.0 
 
 1,479.09 
 
 12.30 
 
 85.43 
 
 116.59 
 
 13.42 
 
 0.96 
 
 1.20 
 
 1.68 
 
 0.23 
 
 B.37 
 
 0.12 
 
 Erie 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Pa 
 
 72,401 
 
 15.2 
 
 679.77 
 
 13.40 
 
 14.29 
 
 92.12 
 
 10.92 
 
 1.19 
 
 1.57 
 
 0.99 
 
 0.04 
 
 4.24 
 
 0.15 
 
 Peoria 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 III 
 
 70,006 
 
 11.6 
 
 336.63 
 
 14.87 
 
 13.90 
 
 64.02 
 
 14.74 
 
 1.31 
 
 2.11 
 
 1.26 
 
 0.45 
 
 5.76 
 
 0.78 
 
 * Compiled from Financial Statistics of Cities for 1915, U. S. Bureau of Census. 
 
 In comparison with cities listed above, Akron occupies the following place with regard to each sub- 
 ject heading: 
 
 Population estimated for 1915 10 Police 12 
 
 Population, per acre . 8 Fire 11 
 
 Per capita assessed valuation ... . 3 Health 
 
 Tax Rate based on true valuation estimated .... 7 Charities, Hospitals, Correction 
 
 Per capita net indebtedness 3 Schools .... 
 
 Per capita assets 4 Recreation . .... ..... 
 
 Total for General Departments 9 , 
 
 91 
 
for 
 
 Pfan prepared fc 
 
 Akron 
 Chamber ^^^ Commerce 
 
 Cjty Impkoveme.mt Committee 
 Frank H. Adams, Chairman 
 
 John- A/ousjv CrrrPLAMT^ji 
 
 City of 
 
 Summit Countv 
 
 19*^^17 
 
 Akron 
 
 State of Ohio 
 
 CITY 7V1AP 
 
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