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San Francisco, 4:50 PM
Mon Nov 30
21 posts in the last 24 hours

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    Dsmvwl  Admin  Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×
    Image of The Curse of Millhaven The Curse of Millhaven
    11/26/09

    In reply to Is This The Beginnings Of The First Megacity?
    I have visited Arcosanti about 12 times over 25 years. Basically it is pretty, and a nice show-and-tell item where one may talk about arcologies. What it is not, and never has been, is a serious attempt to build an arcology. It is the world's largest build-your-own-house project combined with a community garden and, well, lots of pot.
     Reply
    The Curse of Millhaven was starred The Curse of Millhaven was unstarred
    Image of Klebert L. Hall Klebert L. Hall
    11/26/09

    In reply to Dallas' Eco-Community Could Be the Future of Urban Housing
    Lets hope it turns out well.

    Most of these "forward-thinking" government architectural projects wind up being objects of contempt twenty years down the road. A lot of public housing projects were built on similar ideals, for example.
    -Kle.
     Reply
    Klebert L. Hall was starred Klebert L. Hall was unstarred
    Image of thatblackgirl thatblackgirl
    11/26/09

    @Klebert L. Hall: I agree. Once it fails and the homeless and squatters take over, it'll be a nightmare. Then the city will have to waste a bunch of time in court to get permission to demolish it.
     Reply
    thatblackgirl was starred thatblackgirl was unstarred
    Image of Klebert L. Hall Klebert L. Hall
    11/26/09

    In reply to Is This The Beginnings Of The First Megacity?
    "Is This The Beginnings Of The First Megacity?"

    If so, it will only be because nobody actually wants to live in an arcology. It's been decades, and the place is nowhere near "mega". I expect the first one will go up a lot faster. Heck, the Burj Dubai is a better choice for the first arcology.

    "The idea of a sprawl-free city seems attractive and smarter for our long-term survival."

    How's that, exactly? I'll give you "attractive", but the latter seems hard to support logically.
    -Kle.
     Reply
    Klebert L. Hall was starred Klebert L. Hall was unstarred
    Image of nexialist nexialist
    11/26/09

    @Klebert L. Hall: @Klebert L. Hall: reduction of sprawl actually fits logically into the current sustainable development paradigms for urban planning that are a result of the brundtland report. it ties into the notion of "compact city" which features high density, mixed-use, and pedestrian proximity. the notion stems from the traditional European city. this concept of city is intended to reduce carbon footprint as well as use of cars and thus be sustainable. my two cents.
     Reply
    Klebert L. Hall promoted this comment nexialist was starred nexialist was unstarred
    Image of Klebert L. Hall Klebert L. Hall
    11/27/09

    @nexialist:
    Sure, compact cities are efficient.

    Making the leap to the idea that they improve the likelihood of our long-term survival as a species is fanciful, at best.
    -Kle.
     Reply
    Klebert L. Hall was starred Klebert L. Hall was unstarred
    Image of nexialist nexialist
    11/28/09

    @Klebert L. Hall: that always depends on our modes of production. if we find an economy based on resources that are not limited, then we're fine.
     Reply
    nexialist was starred nexialist was unstarred
    Image of Klebert L. Hall Klebert L. Hall
    11/28/09

    @nexialist:
    I also strongly doubt that the collapse of civilization=human extinction. Resource crises might cause the former, but they are unlikely to cause the latter.
    -Kle.
     Reply
    Klebert L. Hall was starred Klebert L. Hall was unstarred
    Image of nexialist nexialist
    11/28/09

    @Klebert L. Hall: in a biological sense i would agree with that. in the context of the original question, "The idea of a sprawl-free city seems attractive and smarter for our long-term survival," i can only speak in relation to the city in the European and North American context; the Chinese city e.g. is already something different in the way how spaces are allocated to cultural use. what i refer to is less a biological, more a cultural context of urbanism.
     Reply
    nexialist was starred nexialist was unstarred
    Image of Bootknife-Jackson Bootknife-Jackson
    11/25/09

    In reply to Is This The Beginnings Of The First Megacity?
    is it taking it too far when a fan builds not his favorite character's costume, not his favorite fictional vehicle, but his favorite Mega City #1 ?
     Reply
    Bootknife-Jackson was starred Bootknife-Jackson was unstarred
    Image of Chuck Chuck
    11/25/09

    In reply to Dallas' Eco-Community Could Be the Future of Urban Housing
    It may be "architecture that's quickly realized and doesn't break the bank", but if it's in downtown Dallas, the land it's on certainly will do the bank-breaking all on its own.

    Putting a sustainable community downtown is a lot like dropping a fire extinguisher in the middle of a forest fire.
     Reply
    Chuck was starred Chuck was unstarred
    Image of sjct sjct
    11/25/09

    In reply to Dallas' Eco-Community Could Be the Future of Urban Housing
    You'd have to be a moutain goat to seed, weed and harvest those slopes! This design is beyond ridiculous.
     Reply
    EdificeComplex promoted this comment sjct was starred sjct was unstarred
    Image of EdificeComplex EdificeComplex
    11/25/09

    @sjct: It looks like there are 3-4 vegetation terraces per floor level. I would imagine that each of them is accessible from the interior apartments. Not to mention the catwalk type ladders that are on each side of the exterior in picture 3.

    Edit: Even if you can't access the terraces from the interior they could be made wide enough to allow someone to walk along them. Basically an oversized balcony that runs the full length of each tower.
     Reply
    Edited by EdificeComplex at 11/25/09 3:57 PM EdificeComplex was starred EdificeComplex was unstarred
    Image of sjct sjct
    11/26/09

    @EdificeComplex: I agree that the terraces *could* be made wide enough but in the illustrations they are not. In picture 2, the human figure near the top of one of these slopes clearly shows that the terrace is no wider than the steps going up the sides.

    Now if, as you speculate, these stepped terraces are actually more like window boxes that can be accessed from inside then, this design becomes slightly more practical. I much prefer the idea of having access to a garden balcony but that wouldn't create these dramatic building shapes.

    The point of my comment was not to oppose the concept but to point out the lack of consideration for practical gardening requirements.
     Reply
    sjct was starred sjct was unstarred
    Image of TotalFanGirl TotalFanGirl
    11/25/09

    In reply to Dallas' Eco-Community Could Be the Future of Urban Housing
    Okay, this looks, at first glance, like the remains of a once great city that is now being taken over by the surrounding vegetation. I definitely don't want to live someplace that looks like it's an abandoned factory.
     Reply
    TotalFanGirl was starred TotalFanGirl was unstarred
    Image of hill.rat hill.rat
    11/25/09

    @TotalFanGirl: One might say that's a feature, not a flaw: it's definitely an evocative, emotionally substantive space. Of course, this is coming from someone who lives in a (converted) abandoned factory several blocks from where this project is going in, so take with NaCl.
     Reply
    EdificeComplex promoted this comment hill.rat was starred hill.rat was unstarred
    Image of namanintx namanintx
    11/25/09

    In reply to Dallas' Eco-Community Could Be the Future of Urban Housing
    Good idea, but does it have to be so ugly.
     Reply
    Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H. promoted this comment namanintx was starred namanintx was unstarred
    Image of IraeNicole IraeNicole
    11/25/09

    In reply to Is This The Beginnings Of The First Megacity?
    I would think that putting it in the city would dramatically increase the cost needed for the project.
     Reply
    IraeNicole was starred IraeNicole was unstarred
    Image of Jassen Jassen
    11/25/09

    In reply to Dallas' Eco-Community Could Be the Future of Urban Housing
    Are we taking bets on when the first Dope plant will be found ?
     Reply
    Jassen was starred Jassen was unstarred
    Image of Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H. Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.
    11/25/09

    @Jassen: Before it's completed? Certainly before anyone moves in.
     Reply
    Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H. was starred Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H. was unstarred
    Image of Ruthless, If you let me Ruthless, If you let me
    11/25/09

    In reply to Dallas' Eco-Community Could Be the Future of Urban Housing
    I Like it. Please bring it to San Angeles.
     Reply
    Ruthless, If you let me was starred Ruthless, If you let me was unstarred
    Image of EdificeComplex EdificeComplex
    11/25/09

    In reply to Is This The Beginnings Of The First Megacity?

    I'm waiting for the day when we can build something like this: Shimizu TRY 2004 Mega-City Pyramid. Obviously influenced by the Tyrell Corporation.
     Reply
    EdificeComplex was starred EdificeComplex was unstarred
    Image of mr_dude mr_dude
    11/25/09


    @EdificeComplex: You mean...
     Reply
    mr_dude was starred mr_dude was unstarred
    Image of EdificeComplex EdificeComplex
    11/25/09

    @mr_dude: The Shimizu Pyramid if it were to ever be built would be about 88 square kilometers in building area. That's roughly 245 Pyongyang Pyramids, so not quite. I while give the North Koreans credit for being ambitious though.
     Reply
    EdificeComplex was starred EdificeComplex was unstarred
    Image of rod rod
    11/25/09

    In reply to Is This The Beginnings Of The First Megacity?
    Arcosanti has been more or less unchanged for 30 years. Let's hope that speaks to efficacy of the people involved, not the conceptual failure of the arcology concept.
     Reply
    Charlie Jane Anders promoted this comment rod was starred rod was unstarred
    Image of CoffinDodger (If the typos crap. Blame my keyboard) CoffinDodger (If the typos crap. Blame my keyboard)
    11/25/09

    In reply to Is This The Beginnings Of The First Megacity?
    If this shit goes down. Dibs on the Lawgiver and the Lawmaster. Damit! I wanna be a judge!! You WILL obey the Laaaaaw under my dome!!

    That just sounds a bit strange!!
     Reply
    CoffinDodger (If the typos crap. Blame my keyboard) was starred CoffinDodger (If the typos crap. Blame my keyboard) was unstarred
    Image of hamshank hamshank
    11/25/09

    @CoffinDodger (If the typos crap. Blame my keyboard): really, I think we need fear you more than the going down of the shit ...
     Reply
    Dunny0 promoted this comment hamshank was starred hamshank was unstarred
    Image of CoffinDodger (If the typos crap. Blame my keyboard) CoffinDodger (If the typos crap. Blame my keyboard)
    11/25/09

    @hamshank: It depends Where 'The shit' ends up!!

    #calendar
     Reply
    CoffinDodger (If the typos crap. Blame my keyboard) was starred CoffinDodger (If the typos crap. Blame my keyboard) was unstarred
    Image of AmishJohn AmishJohn
    11/25/09

    In reply to Is This The Beginnings Of The First Megacity?
    Yes, Simon, stick it in the middle of a city. We saw how well that worked for Todos Santos.
     Reply
    AmishJohn was starred AmishJohn was unstarred
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