I don’t know how much work he put into designing their interior layouts, but it’s seemed to me that they would be much easier to get built than his more grandiose ideas.

Thank you for this perfectly outlined essay on the prospects of such a noble project. My name is Joseph A. Rivera-Ramos, I lived at Arcosanti for about two years as their Guest and Community Service Coordinator in 2010, after participating as an intern and workshop student. I led tours and helped organize and prepare events, hosting many people from all around the world who held great interest in our efforts there. In so many ways I felt so comfortable with the scale of the current project, however wished for more people, services, and activities. I also dreamed of the day we would be more connected to other “arcologies” or at least have better connectivity to local urban centers.

I want to let you know that in-fact, since you wrote your essay, Soleri did focus more energy and interest in the lean-linear arterial urban networks, and just before he passed away a number of publications were produced describing them more and highlighting their potential, which I am sure you are now aware of. I also understand and agree emphatically with you, that our core conceptions and understanding of property as a species are too primitive to develop this way currently. Thankfully, there are many smaller scale efforts currently being managed, and the potential for growth is very likely over this century. In order to build a movement toward the greater development of a network such as the Lean-Linear City System we must continue to engage the public and powers that be, both in politics and economics. I love your mention and rationalization of the need to think as a genetic engineer in the understanding of cities. It takes a highly evolved consciousness to arrive at that understanding of our habitats, and I am glad that I am not the only one that feels this way. This thought process, believe it or not, was also shared by Soleri, and he often compared the arcology and linear-city to a highly evolved organism needing to develop as all organisms in nature do. I agree with you, that it could not just be smacked down as an empty structure in the middle of no where, to be filled by some unknown in-descript population. The hope is, that such environs could find a balance in their predisposed order, and allow for the unplanned to establish its overall form overtime perhaps. The opportunities to offer people a higher standard of living for less is a goal many may entertain, however, they need to know what steps need to be taken to get there. I believe we all want to avoid arriving at the solutions after some sort of collapse or catastrophe, which we should collectively avoid at all costs. I struggle daily thinking about how we will get there; I am glad to know many people are now.

I look forward to knowing you more. Thank you for your time Sir.

Respectfully,
Joseph

I have been following Soleri for many years. You have introduced me to two new futurists, Jacque Fresco and Emilio Ambasz (whose name I think you may have misspelled). It is good to compare multiple perspectives.

Where I live, in Silicon Valley, medium-density development is burgeoning along the light-rail transit lines. Solar power is popping up in many places — though it is notably (and maddeningly) absent on those new buildings near the light rail. Bits and pieces of the arcological vision can be seen. I don’t know whether it will reach full flower, but I am seeing some progress.

I like The Integral City ,by Marilyn Hamilton and Eco Cities by Richard Register , as more human and organic. I’m catching up with all the good stuff on P2P !

Great piece.