Agronomist Says Urban Problems’ Solution is Middle-sized Towns

Dr. Raanan Weitz, the Israeli agronomist, suggested yesterday that urban problems could be solved by the creation of a series of middle-sized towns. Dr. Weitz, head of the Land Settlement Department of the Jewish Agency and former chairman of the Institute of Agriculture, spoke at the sixth conference on urbanization, being held in Rehovot. Other speakers expressed fear that his plan would give rise to monolythic groups and hence ethnic clashes. French scientist Jean Canaux suggested a series of small centers, one kilometer (six-tenths of a mile) wide, to be connected by roads and open spaces. Prof. Robert C. Weaver of the Bernard M. Baruch College of New York University, who was Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the Johnson administration, proposed that “bucks, brains and bodies” be used to “eliminate the evils” in cities.