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Is This The Beginnings Of The First Megacity?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 ?
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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.
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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.
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mr_dude
11/25/09

@EdificeComplex: You mean...
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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.
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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.
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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!!
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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 ...
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CoffinDodger (If the typos crap. Blame my keyboard)
11/25/09

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

#calendar
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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.
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chuckusruckus
11/25/09

In reply to Is This The Beginnings Of The First Megacity?
I had the opportunity to visit Arcosanti twice while living in Phx, and yes, it does have something of a communal/hippy vibe about it. However, the folks there seem a bit more grounded and realistic about the goals of the project. I agree that something like this would be great for a city like Detroit or Cleveland, which have vast swathes of abandoned property.

Oh, and the Arcosanti bells are beautiful as well :)
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EdificeComplex
11/25/09

@chuckusruckus: There was an interesting article on NewGeography a while back about re-imagining cities like Detroit. The main idea was centered around the "shrinking cities" movement rather than arcologies. The idea being that major parts of abandoned land be converted into agricultural use. The main urban core would remain intact and smaller urban villages would surround the city. Ideally the city would eventually be able to grow a majority of the fresh food that it consumes. It's a pretty quick read and I really recommend it for anyone interested in urban planning issues.

[www.newgeography.com]
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edward_eck001
11/25/09

@EdificeComplex:
YES! We must return to Manorialism! Diocletian had it right!
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Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.
11/25/09

@edward_eck001: +2!
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Grey_Area
11/25/09

In reply to Is This The Beginnings Of The First Megacity?
Okay, I checked. This is the same Arcosanti I heard about as a little kid. It's been "under construction" since 1970. Their heart is in the right place, they love the Earth and all that, but people who eschew material gain are crap for fund-raising. It's like a groovy hippie commune that never ended.
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gerrylum
11/25/09

@Grey_Area: Yeah, I remember watching stories about this when I was a kid (20 years ago). It looks like they've made absolutely no progress.
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Grey_Area
11/25/09

@gerrylum: Maybe they should try a bake sale.
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AmishJohn
11/25/09

@Grey_Area: Mmmmm. California's fairly close, so they can go get, um, 'supplies' for the brownies.
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Bill-Lee
11/25/09

@Grey_Area: No, they shouldn't. I visited this place as little kid. It is a nice place bu their cafeteria makes awful brownies.
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Dr.Quatermass: I have to say Dr. You are once again spot on with that oberservation and anything I am about to say that contradicts this statement is strictly for humor sake.
11/25/09

@Bill-Lee: He-he. I make awful brownies too. Skibbidy-bop bu-doop bu-doop bu-dah pow. Scat jokes!
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Krashblind
11/25/09

In reply to Is This The Beginnings Of The First Megacity?
I had a professor in college who was one of the original members of this project way back in the 70's , Russel Ferguson. He would tell us stories of how the idea was very bold but the execution was rather lacking. Apparently they had a stigma about cutting wood to certian sizes so they would collect it into piles sorted by length.

Megacity? Rapture? No. Good idea falling apart at the seems due to lack of leadership and no funding. Yes.
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