is an unfortunate thing," he said, "that our American cities are
not first laid out in accordance with some definite idea. As a matter
of fact, however, they simply grow up and later have to be changed in
order to give them symmetry. In Europe the whole idea is different.
The government has more control over such affairs than it has in this
country, and it prescribes just what the height of the buildings shall
be. The result is a skyline which is imposing. In this country each
man builds for himself."

Pending the action of the authorities on the plans for the San
Francisco Beautiful Mr. Burnham had little to say about the
rebuilding. The boulevards connecting the hills were to have been made
by taking out blocks of houses, most of which were in poorer sections
of the city. This would give a passageway more than two hundred feet
wide. The buildings which would have been condemned have been
destroyed, and it then became a question as to whether the authorities
of the city would be able to make the change contemplated.

Mr. Burnham's plan for the New San Francisco left Chinatown out of the
reckoning, as there was talk of private capital arranging for the
transfer of the quarter to another part of the city. It was the
opinion of Mr. Burnham that Chinatown, as occupying a valuable section
of San Francisco, would eventually have to go.

"Twin Peaks," runs the report made by Mr. Burnham, "and the property
lying around them, should be acquired for park purposes by the city.
The idea was to weave park and residence districts into interesting
and economic relations, and also to preserve from the encroachments of
building the hill bordered valley running to Lake Merced, so that the
vista from the parks to the ocean should be unbroken. It is planned to
preserve the beautiful canyon or glen to the south of Twin Peaks and
also to maintain as far as possible the wooded background formed by
the hills looking south from Golden Gate. This park area of the Twin
Peaks, which includes the hills which surround the San Miguel Valley
and is terminated by Lake Merced, is a link in the chain of parks
girdling the city.

"To the north of Twin Peaks lies a natural hollow. Here it was
proposed to create an amphitheatre or stadium of vast proportions. The
gentler slopes of the Twin Peaks were to be used as villa properties.
The plans for Twin Peaks also included a collective centre or academy,
which is to be arranged for the accommodation of me