Arcosanti
Categories: Planned cities | Utopian communities
Arcosanti is an experimental town that began construction in 1970 in central Arizona, 70 miles (110 km) outside of Phoenix, at 34° 20′ 34.72″ N, 112° 06′ 05.93″ W (elev. 3732 feet /1130 metres). Paolo Soleri, using a concept he calls arcology (architecture + ecology), designed the town to demonstrate ways urban conditions could be improved while minimizing the destructive impact on the earth.
Arcosanti is being built on only 25 acres (0.1 km²) of a 4060 acre (16 km²) land preserve, keeping its inhabitants near the natural countryside. The Arcosanti web site describes how an arcology functions in Arcosanti: "The built and the living interact as organs would in a highly evolved being. Many systems work together, with efficient circulation of people and resources, multi-use buildings, and solar orientation for lighting, heating and cooling."
As of 2005 Arcosanti stands some fraction of 1% complete. Existing structures include a three-story visitors' center / cafe / gift shop, the bronze-casting apse (half-dome) carefully situated to accept maximal winter sun and minimal summer sun, two large barrel vaults, a ring of apartment residences around an outdoor amphitheatre, a community swimming pool, and Soleri's suite. A two-bedroom 'Sky Suite' occupies the highest point in the complex and is available for overnight guests.
In Arcosanti, apartments, businesses, production, technology, open space, studios, and educational and cultural events are all accessible, while privacy is paramount in the overall design. Solar greenhouses are planned to provide gardening space for public and private use, and act as solar collectors for winter heat.
The city serves as an educational complex where workshops and classes are offered. Students from around the world are constructing Arcosanti. In addition, about 50,000 tourists visit Arcosanti each year.
Funds to build Arcosanti are raised through the sale of art objects, the most famous being cast wind chimes. More funds are raised from workshop tuitions, which people ("workshoppers") pay for a five week hands-on experience. The workshops are the principal means by which Arcosanti is constructed.
Criticism
It has been noted that at the current rate of construction, it may take several hundred years for completion of Arcosanti. Therefore, it is suggested that advancing technologies may solve the problems of overpopulation and environmental degradation well before completion, making the Arcosanti project redundant.
It has been criticised for a lack of funding to realise its vision within a practical timeframe (similar to above).
It has also been suggested that even if any major discoveries or theories are achieved through the gradual development of the Arcosanti project, there is no formal stucture at present to gather, record, and disseminate these ideas to interested stakeholders. It is argued that, as of 2005, the 35-year project has yielded few tangible results in scientific theory or development towards advancing our knowledge of the arcology in theory or practice.