At the instance of the Special Park Commission legislation has been enacted to enable the several park authorities to locate parks and pleasure grounds, of not more than ten acres in extent, in any portion of their respective districts, and to raise money by bond issues. On the South Side seventeen new parks, with a total area of 671 acres have been acquired. A feature of these small parks is the neighborhood-center building, provided with baths, gymnasia, refectory service, club rooms, and reading rooms for the district served. These “clubhouses for the people,” as they are called, are in service both summer and winter. The outdoor swimming-pools and athletic fields are in charge of expert directors furnished by the authorities. The aim of the commissioners is to improve the health and morals of the people, and to stimulate local pride and patriotism; and the work has attracted international attention. The South Side expansion movement, now nearing completion, will cost about seven million dollars. In suggesting additions to the smaller parks, the principle has been followed of placing them, as far as possible, on the proposed circuit boulevards. The intersections of these boulevards with streets will necessarily form round-points, which should be treated as part of the park system. The same principle of placing is followed for the larger play parks, in order that they may be reached from one another by passing through a continuous line of planting. The question of density of population has been considered with reference to the relative sizes of those parks which lie within the congested center, particularly with regard to the first circuit; and although all such parks cannot be placed adjacent to boulevards, they are shown connected with one another by important thoroughfares, so that the natural lines of travel will pass them. The smaller play parks disregard to some extent the above principles, because these are in the strictest sense neighborhood centers. The play parks and squares are thus balanced equally around the civic center, which may be said to be the center of the varying densities of population. In this way, they serve to accentuate the scheme of circuits laid down in the system of circulation on the general plan. [Illustration: XLIV. CHICAGO, GENERAL MAP SHOWING TOPOGRAPHY, WATERWAYS, AND COMPLETE SYSTEM OF STREETS, BOULEVARDS, PARKWAYS, AND PARKS. The parks and parkways encircle the city; they are placed in relation to the radiating arteries, and increase in area in proportion to their distance from the center (green). Also showing railroads (red), the proposed harbors at the mouths of the Chicago and Calumet rivers, and the location of outlying townships. The elevation of the ground is shown by increasing depth of color (orange), from the center of the city. COPYRIGHT, 1909, BY COMMERCIAL CLUB OF CHICAGO ]