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HomeMy WebLinkAbout174Duotang bound booklet, 22.5 x 29 cm., by Kent Barker from _Community Planning Review_, Vol.1, No.1, 1951, pp6-15. Barker, Kent. "Ajax : Planning a New Town in Ontario". Community Planning Review. Vol. 1, No. 1 (1951), pp. 6-15. "AJAX : PLANNING A NEW TOWN IN ONTARIO by Kent Barker* Ajax is situated on the shore of Lake Ontario, some twenty-five miles east of Toronto. Before the war, it was open farmland, dotted with a few houses and barns. The site was selected in 1941 for the location of an important war industry. The Canadian Government, acting through Defence Industries Limited, purchased an area of almost 3,000 acres, and constructed a huge shell-filling plant. In addition to the operational buildings and magazines, the project included its own pumping station, sewage disposal system, steam plant, and many miles of road and railway. Six hundred small houses, plus a number of dormitory buildings, were built to accommodate the thousands of war workers needed to operate the plant. The community was provided with its own post office, banks, hospital, recreational facilities, police and fire departments. The project was named ""Ajax"" to commemorate the recent naval action off Montevideo which had cost the Nazis the loss of their pocket battleship Graf Spee During the war, the plant turned out immense quantities of ammunition comprising a very important element in Canada's war production. After the end of hostilities Ajax was occupied, in part, by the University of Toronto. Student enrolment had risen almost overnight to astronomical figures, creating; a sudden demand for space and facilities which could not possibly be absorbed by existing accommodation in Toronto. It was a stroke of good fortune that Ajax was available to meet this emergency. Plant buildings were quickly adapted to provide lecture halls, laboratories and drafting rooms. War workers moved out and student veterans moved in. At its peak, the Ajax Division had an enrolment of over 3,300 students of the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. The great majority were provided with living accommodation inside the project. The buildings and equipment used by the University of Toronto were under lease from the War Assets Corporation. The residual industrial buildings remained under direct control of War Assets Corporation, while the 600 single family Wartime Houses were controlled and administered by Wartime Housing Limited until it was succeeded by Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation early in 1947. (All three Corporations are creatures of the national government.) During the period of occupancy by the University of Toronto the ultimate disposition of the buildings and services in the industrial area hung more or less in the balance. War Assets Corporation dismantled several of the vacant industrial buildings and removed considerable railway trackage. When the University of Toronto decided to vacate early in 1948 there was a continuing demand for the 600 Wartime Houses by veterans who were unable to find housing closer to their employment in Toronto and elsewhere. Thus a situation arose, in which the industrial buildings became a ""ghost area"" and the long term future of the 600 dwellings was surrounded by uncertainty. The Ajax ""village"" faced the imminent prospect of becoming an isolated community of small houses, quite unrelated to its region. As successors to Wartime Housing Limited, Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation became concerned with this problem. Not only was the welfare of its tenants endangered, but the practical aspects of future management presented unusual difficulties. In order to provide essential services to the 600 houses, it would be necessary to maintain several miles of pipe lines, a sewage disposal plant, and a water pumping station several times larger than actually required. When the full implications of this problem were brought to light it became apparent that much of the existing plant, representing an investment of many millions, could be readily adapted to peacetime use. The author would like to take this opportunity of expressing his appreciation of the work of his associates and assistants, who have participated in the planning of Ajax over the past two years: Ants Elken, architect; Bob Briggs, Frank Burcher, Hugh Ellis, Cliff Wilson, Fred Wallis and Josef Kamenicek, students. " "A great deal of credit is due to Mr. George Finley— now Manager of the Ajax Development Project, at that time District Rentals Officer of the Corporation. It was he who first appreciated the situation and brought forward the idea of developing a planned community on the site of the old war plant. In 1948 the University gave notice of its intention to withdraw the following May. It was then decided to place full control of Ajax in the hands of the Housing Corporation. Its status became that of a ""Federal Island"" within the boundaries of a rural township. Certain arrangements were already in effect, with respect to the sharing of school costs and social services. These had been worked out on a mutually satisfactory basis after the original agreements with Wartime Housing Limited had proven inadequate. Ordinary municipal services were on an operating basis and the community was served by the Ontario Provincial Police. In accepting responsibility for the future of Ajax, Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation realized that here lay an unusual opportunity for the practical application of modern planning principles. The strategic location of Ajax, with its road and rail connections and its existing services and buildings, presented great possibilities for industrial development. This project, involving a multitude of problems only indirectly related to housing, was of a scale and character [beyond] the previous experience of the Corporation. [The] ""Ajax Advisory Committee"" was set up to determine matters of policy, to shape the administration of the Project, and to guide the Manager in his administrative and promotional duties. The Committee is composed of Corporation officials from Head Office and the Ontario Regional Office. The Ajax Development Project is administered as a component of the Ontario Region. The Advisory Committee appointed the writer as Planning Consultant, to lay out a general plan of the area, to make detailed plans for new housing projects, and to advise on matters affecting physical development. The Consultant sits as a member of the Advisory Committee. It was decided at the outset that Ajax would not remain a ""Government Town"", but that the Corporation would co-operate with Provincial authorities in establishing full municipal government as soon as it became feasible to do so. The problem was a peculiar one. Ajax already possessed municipal services comparable to those of a sizable town, plus a great network of roads in surprisingly good condition—much of which could be incorporated into a new plan. Yet the small population could not possibly maintain these assets nor undertake promotional work during the intensive period of development which lay ahead. It was necessary to decide upon the best means of [bridging] the gap between Ajax the Federal Island and Ajax the self-governing municipality. A number of alternatives were given serious study by the Advisory Committee, with the co-operation and assistance of the Department of Municipal Affairs and the Department of Planning and Development of the Ontario Government. It was finally agreed that the creation of an ""Improvement District"" might offer a workable solution. An Improvement District is governed by a board of Trustees, who exercise the duties of an ordinary Council, as well as those of the School Board, Utilities Commission, and all other municipal authorities. The Trustees are responsible to the Provincial Department of Municipal Affairs. They are appointed, not elected, and consequently the inhabitants have no direct voice in local government. The Trustees, in discharging their municipal duties, do not officially represent any particular social group or business interest. But in practice, the selection of the Trustees usually reflects the principal elements in the Community. The idea was originally proposed to fit the requirements of mining towns and other isolated communities not sufficiently mature to qualify for self-government. A number of such Improvement Districts exist in Ontario, but the peculiar characteristics of Ajax place it in a class by itself. The Improvement District originally proposed at Ajax included a considerable belt of farm land. From the planning point of view, this offered the obvious advantage of bringing a larger area under control of our zoning regulations. But the idea met with strong opposition, mainly from the rural population, and subsequently the application was withdrawn. Several public meetings were held to clarify misunderstandings and to acquaint the people more fully with various aspects of the problem which had to be solved. Boundaries were re-drawn to include only Crown Land owned by Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation, rounded off by a small piece of adjoining territory. The second application met with more favourable response. On the first of November 1950 the Improvement District of Ajax was brought into being by order of the Ontario Municipal Board. The three important components of the Ajax community were recognized in the composition of the Board of Trustees: Chairman: B. DeForest Bayly (Bayly Engineering, Ajax); Vice-Chairman: John Mills (long-time resident); Member: W. W. Rideout (Assistant Manager, Ajax Development Project, C.M.H.C.) The population of Ajax, now about four thousand, is a rather large number to be governed by appointed officials. It was of some importance that the Trustees should be men enjoying public confidence and respect. The success of Ajax as a municipal entity will depend to a great extent upon their wise handling of a multitude of local problems. This of course is an interim measure. It is hoped that " "Ajax will assume the status of a self-sustaining, self-governing municipality within a few years' time. There will be no immediate visible evidence of the change. Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation, formerly the sole authority, now becomes the principal landowner and ratepayer. It will now be possible to offer lots for sale to individual purchasers, and thereby gradually transfer a greater measure of responsibility to the Improvement District. GOVERNING CONDITIONS FOR PLANNING Preliminary planning studies were commenced in the summer of 1948. At this time the future status of Ajax had not been determined, but it was obvious that some time would elapse before any form of municipal authority could come into being. In the meantime, C.M.H.C. exercised complete control. This meant considerable freedom in planning, since we were dealing with a relatively undeveloped area in single ownership. But the planning of Ajax was by no means ""planning from scratch"". Our problem was to bring about a reasonable compromise between theoretical concepts and the practical limitations imposed by existing conditions. In the original plant there was a central nucleus, containing the dormitories, storage warehouses for raw materials, the steam plant, offices, and other facilities housing the necessary administration. The manufacturing process was carried on in four ""lines"" of operational buildings running north and south, which consisted of — Aerial view of Ajax taken in the spring of 1948 from the north: the single houses built during 'World War II in the foreground, then highway and railway routes, with industrial, future commercial and residential areas (formerly used for ammunition storage), and Lake Ontario beyond. (Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation) " "[w----y] spaced units connected by covered passages for the movement of explosive materials. Other large areas, far removed from the main centre, were used for explosive storage buildings. The entire project was very open in character, due to the nature of its processes. The sewage disposal system had been designed primarily to serve the housing area and the offices and workshops in the ""nucleus"". Many of the storage buildings in the southern part are not connected to the sewer system. The disposal plant is located on the west side of the area, discharging chlorinated effluent into Duffin Creek. Several of the main sewer lines necessarily run counter to the natural drainage, and the system includes several pumping stations. Water is supplied to practically all the buildings. The water pumping station is located on the lake-shore at the extreme south-east corner of the property, as far as possible from the mouth of Duffin Creek. The entire plan was quite obviously laid out on the drafting board with little or no regard for topographic conditions. This despite the fact that a contour plan had been prepared covering practically the whole area. Roads ran straight as a die, north-south or east-west, cutting diagonally across the ridges and draws which are characteristic of the terrain. Ajax is cut into two unequal parts by the Canadian National Railways main line and the new dual Highway. These routes are spanned by Harwood Avenue, which is the central axis of the whole development. The northern section is comparatively small but completely built-up, consisting of the 600 dwellings in the Wartime Housing village. Immediately south of the Highway lies a loosely organized group of buildings which comprised the heart of the explosive plant. Practically all are of temporary frame construction, clothed informally in wood clapboard, roll roofing or corrugated metal siding. The buildings are tied together with overhead wires and steam lines which add little to the beauty of the composition. The few surviving trees serve to emphasize the bareness of the landscape. This part of Ajax presents a decidedly casual appearance. Farther south the existing buildings are so widely spaced that the general impression is still that of open farmland. Our problem, then, was to evolve a plan for the gradual development of an industrial community, salvaging as much as possible of the existing assets. ZONING It was essential to make an early decision regarding the general scheme of land use, in order to adopt an intelligent policy with respect to the disposal of existing buildings. As soon as the Corporation assumed control Ajax, the Advisory Committee had to consider many [offers] for rental or purchase; in some cases the continued use of buildings for industrial purposes would conflict with planning objectives. The Corporation will consider the rental of land or buildings for any non-objectionable type of industry. If an offer is received for an industrial building located in an area designated for future residential use, the term of the lease is limited to a maximum of five years. At the expiry of this term, it may be practicable to renew the lease, depending upon the progress of development in that area. No building will be sold for industrial or commercial purposes unless located within the appropriate district. The earliest planning studies were accepted in principle as a frame of reference for this policy. Subsequent refinement of the plan has not resulted in any significant change in the general pattern of land use. Considerable study has been given to the preparation of a draft Zoning By-law. The special characteristics of Ajax required a new approach to the problem of drafting suitable regulations. Zoning by-laws, with few-exceptions, are written for existing towns, in which overcrowding and non-conforming uses are already firmly entrenched. They pre-suppose a gridiron system of street layout, and are often primarily concerned with the protection of residential areas against encroachment of commercial and industrial uses. Consequently the Ajax by-law differs from the usual regulations in several respects. In most by-laws the Use Districts are progressively less restrictive. That is, one begins with the Single-family Dwelling District and the regulations governing each subsequent district permit the precedent types of buildings. Finally, in the Heavy Industry District, ""anything goes"". The Ajax By-law is aimed at a more precise segregation of land uses. Residential buildings are prohibited in commercial and industrial zones, just as commercial uses are prohibited in residential neighbourhoods. This on the theory that a mixture of dwellings and factories is equally undesirable, whether the district be designated as ""residential"" or ""industrial"". Outdoor advertising is the disgrace of our towns and cities today. We would not deny that a well-designed signboard may have aesthetic qualities. Certainly the ""great white way"" has a vitality and charm that is part of urban life. Nevertheless, the indiscriminate use of signs, billboards, and other blatant forms of advertising is incredibly ugly. In the average town it is bearable only because we have in self-defence closed our eyes to it, and habitually pass down a street without actually seeing it. The almost complete lack of signs in Ajax today makes it possible to anticipate the successful application of suitable restrictions. No billboards of any sort will be permitted. Shops will be identified by signs mounted on the facade of the building, with letters of reasonable size. Overhanging signs are prohibited. " "These regulations will apply also in the industrial zone, although signs will be less restricted as to size and location. The by-law is designed to establish more generous standards than would be possible in an already existing town. Space, pure and simple, is in abundant supply. At the same time, the economic development of land must be considered, for it would not be reasonable to impose unnecessary burdens on the taxpayer. Our minimum requirements for setbacks, yards, and permissible occupancies, are not too far out of line with accepted practice. Perhaps the gtreatest difference is to be found in the, regulations governing multiple-family dwellings. We have accepted the principle that the area of the site should bear a direct relationship to the number of families to be housed. Moreover, the design of multiple dwellings affords the architect opportunities for the grouping of buildings in unconventional patterns. New ideas should not be ruled out, merely because they were unforeseen and consequently may not conform to the letter of the law. We therefore tried to make the regulations sufficiently flexible to permit the development of fresh solutions. Although it is impossible to anticipate every eventuality, we attempted to check each provision of the by-law by graphic interpretation on the drafting board. Many sketches were made to determine the ""worst possible case"" conforming with the proposed regulations. GENERAL STRUCTURE OF THE PLAN As yet there is no ""official"" master plan for Ajax. The General Plan dated September 1950 is the latest of a series of studies carried out during the past two years. The basic structure of the plan is very simple, and was largely determined by the governing conditions of the problem. The industrial area already existed as part of the old Defence Industries plant. The Wartime Housing village was completely built up. The existence of Second Street defined the southern limit of our first residential neighbourhood. The major elements of the General Plan are shown in the accompanying illustration. Our principal thoroughfare, Harwood Avenue, extending southward from the bridge, will be flanked on the west side by the central business district, and on the east by a strip of land reserved for high-density housing. Between the business district and the industrial district a smaller area is allocated for light industrial uses. Immediately south of the business centre is a large Recreation Area which will provide sites for the High School and future Community Hall. Surrounding the Recreational Area will be the residential districts, planned on the neighbourhood unit principle, each with its own school and small local shopping centre. There will be four such neighbourhoods, plus a residential district to the west suitable for more expensive houses on larger lots. At the present time, planning in detail has been limited to the area north of Second Street. The major elements have been defined, and further planning will consist, in the main, of adjusting specific projects to the framework already laid down. South of Second Street, the general layout of the proposed residential neighbourhoods conforms with topographic conditions. Engineering surveys now in progress will determine the precise extent of the area which can be included within a sewer system of economic design. Our plan will then be modified accordingly. Our most serious problem is the matter of fringe development. At the present time, commercial facilities are sadly out of balance with industrial and residential growth. When the 600 Wartime Houses were built, a single groceteria was provided in conjunction with them. This is entirely inadequate, and it has been the direct cause of an unfortunate ribbon development along the northerly extension of Harwood Avenue, our principal traffic route. Small shops, built close to the street, have appeared here immediately beyond our boundary, in the usual pattern of uncontrolled expansion. This parasitic appendage is still growing, for lack of restrictive measures to prevent it. We are protected on the west by the existence of Duffin Creek, but on the eastern boundary a similar danger spot exists, and a small grocery has recently appeared to herald the possible beginning of a second fringe area. The Townships of Pickering and Whitby have established a Joint Planning Board. We hope that the problem will eventually be solved through the co-operation of the Planning Board and the Ontario Department of Planning and Development. THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT Studies indicated we should base our plan upon an assumed eventual population of 20,000 to 25,000 persons. It was then necessary to determine the probable requirements, in terms of space and frontage, for a business centre adequate to serve the future town. Study of land use statistics of existing cities would suggest the need for a much larger area than we have provided. Two important facts lead us to believe that the plan we have evolved will prove adequate. First, it is common knowledge that the average urban municipality has far more land in commercial use than it can maintain at a desirable level of prosperity. A high proportion of the total consists of vacant lots, junk yards, and all manner of run-down shops existing on a marginal economic basis. The second characteristic of Ajax is the clean-cut separation of through traffic, by reason of the new dual highway which cuts ""under"" the community without actually touching it. Transient trade will not be a significant factor in the economic development of the town. Ajax will be almost entirely self-contained in this respect. " "— General Plan of Ajax, Ontario, at a scale of about 3,000 feet per inch. (Kent Barker, Planning Consultant for Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation) We came to the conclusion that a business frontage of approximately 20 feet for each hundred of the population was a reasonable estimate of future needs. Part of this will be provided in the small neighbourhood shopping centres to be included in each new residential neighbourhood. This meant that the Central Business [District] could be accommodated on the west side of [Harwood], extending from the new Highway to 2nd St. The plan of the business centre was based upon the following objectives, which we accepted as mandatory requirements: (a) Elimination, as far as practicable, of pedestrian traffic across motor roads. (b) Separation of customer access, whether by motor or on foot, from service roads and employee parking. " "(c) Preservation of a generous scale, through massing of the buildings in large and simple elements. A further objective is the promotion of unity in architectural design. This is suggested in the perspectives of the ""Town Centre"". It is neither practical nor desirable to insist upon standardized design for individual shops. We have recommended that all shops be linked by a continuous permanent canopy, permitting easy circulation in wet weather, and automatically providing a strong architectural element in the composition of the Plazas. The size and location of signs will be governed by regulations of the zoning by-law. This is perhaps as far as the planner can go, without infringing upon the rights of the architect. It is hoped that a measure of architectural control will be maintained, but it is not intended to impose unreasonable limitations on the design of store fronts. The majority of business properties face upon either of the two large Plazas, in which ample space is provided for customer parking. A service road gives access to commercial buildings from the rear, and provides a completely separate traffic route for trucks. A few small shops may require to be serviced from the front, but these will be of minor importance. A strip of land has been reserved between the rear of the shops and the adjacent Light Industrial District. This will be available for employee parking, and also serves an aesthetic function. It is proposed to plant a number of trees in this strip, which in course of time will provide a satisfactory background for the commercial buildings. Otherwise, factories and warehouses of industry would be too prominent in the view across the Plazas toward the west. For a long time to come, many of the Plaza buildings will undoubtedly be only one storey in height. Shopping facilities in Ajax are presently quite inadequate. The Corporation is taking the initial step in development of the business centre. Construction or the first unit of commercial buildings began in November 1950. The project will provide 17,500 square feet of rentable floor space. This includes a large drug store, a groceteria, two banks, and several small shops for hardware, clothing, and other day-to-day essentials. This initial building, designed by the Architectural Department of C.M.H.C. conforms in every respect to the proposed plan, and is intended to establish a satisfactory standard of design. It is expected that future commercial construction will be carried out by private enterprise. It appears likely that the next project will be a motion picture theatre, to be located on the site designated in our plan. THE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS The industrial area is already provided with numerous railway lines; the majority of these cut across the area on a diagonal. This is fortunate since the system affords an economical use of land. Less space is given over to railway curves when the main feeders arc placed in diagonal relationship to the smaller sidings. Practically all the present buildings arc now in use as storage warehouses or for various industrial purposes. Many of them will continue to be useful and are an important source of revenue. These reasons influenced us to adjust our plan closely to existing conditions. The resulting layout, which appears messy on paper, is in reality quite practical and provides for easy subdivision into industrial sites of varying sizes. That part of the industrial area lying south of Second Street was originally unzoned, and held in reserve as a ""safety valve"" to provide elasticity in planning. Its strategic location between industrial, recreational and residential zones would make it possible to expand any or all of these as necessity demanded. It now appears almost certain that the bulk of this area will be required for industrial purposes. In this district we intend to promote the construction of factories of the ""garden city"" type, located on spacious sites, designed and built to superior standards. The land lying parallel to the Highway will of course be the industrial show window of Ajax. A high standard of architectural design and landscaping in this area will be our most effective ""advertising"". A large portion of this, as well as additional industrial land, has recently been purchased by Slough Estates, the British trading estate corporation. Factories will be constructed for rental purposes, or built to order as required. For the most part, industrial activity in Ajax is now carried on in the old Defence Industries buildings. Eighteen or twenty separate industries are now in operation or occupy buildings for storage purposes. One large new plant has been completed for about a year, and another is presently under construction. The improvement and development of the industrial area involves a number of sizable engineering projects. Relocation of power lines, new sewers, roads, and railway sidings, are all in various stages of planning or construction. It is intended to convert the present overhead steam lines to an underground system, serving most of the industrial buildings as well as the future business centre. Industry is attracted to Ajax because of its location and because buildings are available with services already installed. For long-term occupancy the advantages of a comprehensive plan are also a factor. ""Space to grow"" is an important consideration to the industrialist who anticipates future expansion. The Corporation has carried on a vigorous program of promotional activity, at the same time carefully screening all applicants to protect the community against any industries which might later become nuisances. The project Manager has been substantially aided by the assistance of the Trade and Industry Branch of the Ontario Department of Planning and Development, and " "by the Toronto Industrial Commission. Participation by the Commission is particularly noteworthy, indicating the regional scope of its interests as well as the metropolitan significance attached to the Ajax Development Project. THE RESIDENTIAL NE1GHBOURHOODS The Wartime Housing village north of the Highway will remain much as it is. All Crown land in this area is fully developed and no further expansion can take place within the boundaries of the Improvement District. Fringe growth in the surrounding Township is a difficult problem, as we have noted. ""Neighbourhood Number One"", east of the Central Business District, is in a state of transition. It includes the Administration Building, the Post Office, Recreation Hall, Hotel and Cafeteria. Some of these may well remain, being conveniently adjacent to future business. The Hospital will shortly be moved to a permanent site. During the past two years three hundred houses have been built in this Neighbourhood under the Veterans' Housing Program. These are standardized houses giving layout problems peculiar to this type of development. We attempted to avoid excessive monotony by judicious variation in house plans and colour schemes. Too much variarion creates a restlessness which in the final analysis is just another and worse kind of monotony. Lying {newhere} between the two extremes is a middle path [which] we have tried to find. The north-east portion is at present being provided with roads and services in accordance with our plan of subdivision. This area will soon be available for the construction of houses by private owners. Completion of the subdivision will round out the present development of the neighbourhood, except for the area reserved for high density housing. A number of the original dormitory buildings still remain in the middle of Neighbourhood Number One. These have been in use for some time by the Federal Department of Labour, as a dispersal centre for immigrants. Eventually the dormitories will be demolished, and the space thus freed of buildings will become the neighbourhood park and school site. Our recent projects have made use of existing roads and services as far as practicable and this has influenced to some extent the plan of Neighbourhood No. 1. Because of existing buildings and roads in this area, it was not feasible to apply planning theory as consistently as we would wish. As a general principle, we believe that local traffic is best handled by a ring road serving single loops extending inward to a central park area. This simple pattern is indicated on the General Plan in the case of Neighbourhoods Nos. 2, 3 and 4 where we have ignored many existing roads and adapted the circulation to topography. No doubt some modification in detail will be necessary after engineering problems have been explored in connection with detailed layout of these areas. — Perspective of Ajax Town Centre from northeast. " Study layout of neighbourhoods 2, 3 and 4 in the south area of Ajax, showing pattern of horse- shoe streets surrounding each unit of communal space and buildings; scale about 1,750 feet per inch as reproduced. (Kent Barker for Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation) "All the houses now existing in Ajax are standardized types. The original 600 Wartime Housing units are semi-permanent in construction. These are now undergoing a program of permanent improvements. Foundation walls, and in some cases complete basements, will replace the original cedar posts. Houses in the new projects are the present standard C.M.H.C. types, of permanent construction and with complete basements. PARKS AND OPEN SPACES Parks and other green areas are designed to provide a practically continuous system of open spaces throughout the community. No house in the new Ajax will be more than two hundred yards from park or greenbelt. Each neighbourhood will have its own interior park, including the site for its future public school. This recreational area will be easily accessible and quite generous in extent. At suitable locations the interior park will connect with the exterior ""green belts"" which extend like fingers between the neighbourhoods to separate and define them. The interior parks and playgrounds are intended eventually to be landscaped and maintained as fully developed recreational areas. The exterior greenbelts can be left in their natural condition. We have provided generously for open spaces in the plan for Ajax. Land is free, except for the cost of development. In the [absence] of speculation it becomes possible to plan [with-out] attempting to wring out the last cent of revenue. The barren aspect of the site is a depressing characteristic of Ajax today. In its landscaping program for the Ajax housing projects. C.M.H.C. is undertaking to do more than follow its customary practice. The streets and parks of Neighbourhood Number One are already being provided with trees of modest dimensions, placed to supplement and enhance the architectural layout. In addition, the circumference of the neighbourhood will eventually be defined by double rows of trees along the traffic arteries. Ten thousand seedlings will be planted next spring, as the first step in a program of forestation. The entire lakefront will be kept open for public use. With the growth of Ajax, the development of this shoreline will no doubt be a major undertaking. Much of the shoreline consists of high bluffs, not the safest place for children to wander. The beach is narrow, pebbly, and in places inaccessible. But at one or two spots it will be possible to increase the beach in depth by caning out the eroded edge with a bulldozer. CONCLUSION The town planner is probably the most consistently frustrated professional man. This is so because he is generally dealing with existing cities, bedevilled with traffic congestion, obsolete housing, and all the familiar manifestations of modern civilization. By comparison, Ajax presented a clean, uncomplicated technical problem. We had no local politics with which to contend, and no municipal Council to convince or pacify. At the very beginning, the Ajax Advisory Committee accepted our planning objectives, and since then the Committee has proven most sympathetic and understanding. To date we have managed with a planning organization small by comparison with the scale of the project. The bulk of the work has been accomplished during the summer months, with a staff of draftsmen drawn from the student body of the School of Architecture, University of Toronto. We accepted the terms of the problem as laid down, and did not carry out any elaborate social or economic research. The planning staff, while dealing primarily with long-term objectives, also collaborates with the Manager in connection with his promotional duties. The selection of sites for various industries frequently requires minor adjustments to the plan. The route of a new sewer, or the detailed layout of roads involves discussions with the Project Engineer and his staff. In all phases of this work we have enjoyed the complete co-operation of both the Manager and the Project Engineer. Residential development has gone ahead with satisfying dispatch. We have had the rare opportunity of learning from experience on the ground. In some other respects, actual construction has not progressed as rapidly as we had hoped. The machinery of Government moves, as always, with deliberate unhurried steps. Each phase of development has received careful consideration, with long-term objectives always in view. As we write, the threat of imminent war is very real. No one can foresee the eventualities of the next few months, let alone ten or fifteen years. A state of national preparedness, of ""war-in-peace"", could change the face of Ajax overnight. Given conditions of relative peace and prosperity, we are quite certain that Ajax will develop rapidly as an industrial centre. The General Plan is a framework, sufficiently elastic as yet, to take care of unpredictable requirements. The actual building of the town according to plan will call for constant supervision to ensure that each individual component fits into its proper place. Much detailed work remains to be done, and can only be done as Ajax grows and specific problems arise. This will be the real test of the validity of our basic assumptions. "