While all these projects were good and necessary, they failed to keep pace with the needs of the rapidly growing city. Intrusted to different executive authorities, these efforts could not be properly coordinated, and occasionally were designed without the fullest consideration of other projects affected by them. The proposed system of playgrounds was not extended as intended, and even if it had been would have proved inadequate. Lands recommended for park use in 1901 were built on with expensive improvements and put to private or commercial uses. The progress made in the quarter century 1901 to 1926 was so unsatisfactory that a Park and Planning Commission was established (1924, amended 1926)-- to develop a comprehensive, consistent, and coordinated plan for the National Capital and its environs in the States of Maryland and Virginia, to preserve the flow of water in Rock Creek, to prevent pollution of Rock Creek and the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers, to preserve forests and natural scenery in and about Washington, and to provide for the comprehensive, systematic, and continuous development of park, parkway, and playground systems of the National Capital and its environs * * *. Besides its city-planning work, this commission recommended a complete system of city parks, playgrounds, and recreation centers, as well as a system of regional parks. The main new city park feature is a circumferential parkway joining the old Civil War forts built to defend the city against attack, but now too near urban development to be of any military efficacy. But the sites of the forts themselves, besides the interest of the remains of the military works, are excellently suited for local parks, and because of their commanding positions afford many unique and magnificent views, while the drive joining them, besides giving opportunity for an unusually picturesque pleasure drive, will provide very much-needed cross connections of great traffic value between the radial streets entering the city. There is to be a series of neighborhood recreation centers from 10 to 20 acres in size for each residential community, with playgrounds for small children interspersed at intervals of about half a mile. The recreation system is to comprise fields for major sports and swimming pools and constitutes a reasonable effort to meet the policy that “every child shall have a place to play.” The regional park system contemplates the acquisition of the shores of the Potomac from Mount Vernon to and including Great Falls as a memorial park in memory of George Washington. This will include an area of unique historical and scenic value of such picturesque attractiveness as can not be found in such close proximity to any other great city, and a possible natural playground within reach of millions of the city dwellers of the Atlantic seaboard.