The development plan for Metro is a cautious report. It is a practical design distilled from 20 years of planning and applied to the metropolitan area for the first time. It sets an orderly, economic use of land and in this master plan there is beauty of purpose.

But serveral important factors are missing which demand great and bold decisions. Among these are rapid transit, urban renewal and revitalization of the heart of the city.

Metro has not yet been able to come out with the answer to the transit problem and has been concentrating on conventional facilities. Eventually Metro must introduce a rapid transit system, or it will face continuing debilitation by the car.

This is a big challenge, to provide an effective transit system to halt the car's incresing imprint upon the character of the city and to curb its great appetite for millions of dollars in roads and space.

Present thinking is that some form of rail transit, either below or on ground, is the answer. There is no provision for superimposing a system on the present thoroughfare plan and unless there is some action within the next few years, the city will face heavy expenditure for rights of way.

In the field of urban renewal, Metro promises a report in 1964. This will deal largely with housing. For the time it is leaving redevelopment of the downtown area to the Civic Development Corporation which has seized the initiative.

What about the aesthetic appearance of the city?

Regulations providing for more open space are to be proposed in the zoning and building bylaws to be presented shortly. Here Metro planners will give notice to builders and architects that planning must include thoughts of open space around buildings and apartment blocks.

Metro planners admit it is impossible to express aesthetic standards in terms of bylaws. It has had discussions whith the associations of architects, engineers and realtors and will establish an advisory design committee to raise the standards of construction.

This will be done by persuasion and promotion, and Metro has published some fine examples in its report of downtown pedestrian walks, a small square and open air restaurant in a shopping centre, community buildings planned together for economical use of parking and open landscaped space.

Regarding beautification of the river banks, the report says acquisition of private land is too costly, but stipulates that open land now held by local governments should not be sold for private development.

Planners want Metro to to approve a firm policy of priority on any private open riverbank land put up for sale. As an example, it wold want to obtain land in the bend of the Red south of the University, now used for market gardens.

It has made provision for acquiring large parks in open areas around the city and is proposing a series of small neighborhood parks of three to four acres, throughout the downtown area. For example, in the periphery of the downtown area it is proposing a ring of ten small parks.

These are encouraging ideas. Winnipeg has the great opportunity, through the authority given Metro, to plan for the future economically and beautifully.

George Rich, planning director, likks to tell this story in answer to those who believe the taxpayers will balk at aesthetic improvements.

"Have you ever noticed that the man who builds a new home always puts in sod and landscaping first, even though he's saddled with many new costs?"

In the past, Winnipeg's development has been retarded through a heritage of depression philosophy, symbolized by the city's motto of "prudence." Many excellent plans have been prepared over the past 40 years but have been disregarded by elected officials.

Now Metro council has authority to implement this plan, and under terms of its conception and legislation, must do so if considered acceptable. This is the main purpose of Metro and it must not only approve these laws but must act with vigor and inspriration to see that they are applied.