1923 Planning Board Report-Schools, Parks and Playgrounds

On the accompanying map are shown the public schools of Norwood. They are grouped most closely near the center of the Town with scattered buildings on the outskirts. Evidently school locations will follow the centers of new growth, but the extent to which these structures will be scattered depends upon the policies adopted in the future for bringing pupils in the outlying sections into the central portions of the Town for accommodation in large highly organized school centers. The degree to which this type of centralization will be possible or desirable will depend in part upon the excellence of the future through street system. A good system of through streets, by affording direct and safe lines of approach, reduces the need of duplication of school building and school facilities whether these facilities are highly centralized or generally dispersed. The dependence of the school system upon the street layout is in this sense comparable with the dependence of the fire department and police department for efficiency upon the directness and adequate width of the streets of the main thoroughfare system. (See also page 27.)

The relation of the schools of Norwood to the existing parks and playgrounds of the Town is also shown upon this map. Dependence of the schools upon public recreation areas is becoming more general, as vacant land which was once available for playground space is occupied with dwellings and stores. Most of the schools] already possess playground space, but these grounds should be extended before the cost of land for such purposes becomes prohibitive. In general, new park and playground space for school use should be provided adjacent to the school grounds or within sufficiently short walking distance to make possible the control of pupils on these playing spaces by the school authorities | during the hours of school session.

In determining the location of playgrounds or playground areas in parks, careful consideration should be given these play spaces with regard to their use for neighborhood recreation. Every neighborhood should have playgrounds, and these areas should not be placed farther apart than about one-half mile in order to provide facilities within at least one-quarter of a mile of all the families of that neighborhood. Experience has shown that mothers, children and their elders will not walk much over a quarter of a mile to parks or playgrounds, consequently, facilities of this kind are partly wasted if placed at greater spaces. Examination of the plan of proposed parks and playgrounds shown above, and reference to the larger parkway plan (see insert following page 24) will show that the open spaces recommended occur at intervals not greater than these. As a whole the smaller tracts recommended lie upon low,