Message-ID: <9705068656.AA865627428@hudsmtphq.hud.gov> Date: Fri, 6 Jun 1997 13:45:41 EST From: mailto:Michael_O._Patterson@HUD.GOV Subject: future cities listserver To: mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU
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CHARTER
A Discussion of Cities-Built-Anew.
Presently world population is increasing by 100,000,000 per year and most of it accrues to cities with their associated satellite towns, farms and individual estates. Both U.N. and World Bank project a doubling or tripling of population some time in C.21 before stabilization. Meanwhile we are in the early stage of a crisis. The Union of Concerned Scientists which has 1,500 members including 99 Nobel Prize winners says we have no more than one or a few decades to avert global "social and ecological collapse." If we "reinvent the city" fast enough we can save a lot of lives and alleviate suffering. The city is the unit of culture worldwide. However, agricultural countries do not have to follow the pattern of the industrial countries. Agricultural countries like China and India have rural:urban ratios of about 1:3 while industrial countries typically reverse this ratio. Just for discussion, picture an urban core which is built in a proven and aesthetic design like the traditional pyramid and is inhabited by 100,000. Then 300,000 inhabit the green area around the central micro-city-in-one-building. This lifestyle could combine the best elements of both urban and rural/wilderness/natural lifestyles. High tech and low tech blended to enhance quality of life. The presenting problems of city dwellers are much the same the world over: pollution, traffic congestion, lack of affordable housing, unsafe streets, poor aesthetics, unemployment, unaccountable politics top the list. Whatever designs, technologies and functional systems are chosen for FUTURE CITIES the presenting problems must be addressed one by one. The remedies must be clear, logical, affordable. Our discussion will cover all aspects of cities-built-anew however. Retrofitting of existing cities is off topic. Lots of people are already involved in that pursuit. We follow web sites and news groups pertaining to new cities. Space lists cover related topics in the context of space colonization. A well built "city for a small planet" could be a base for space colonization. That is one popular "thread". Another has to do with micro-nationalism. The City State could again flourish. The U.N. which has gone from 50 members to 200 in just 50 years could increase to 2,000 over C.21. "A people have the right to self-determination" is the foundation clause of the U.N.'s Bill of Rights. Until it is honoured the rest of human rights policies will be in vain. The rights of a subordinate culture like those of the unfortunate Kurdish people will be dictated by the dominant culture within national borders. Another thread has to do with the creation of a better collective self, a collective super-ego if you will. A Canada-U.S. border city built anew could reflect the best elements of both cultures and would be a fine 2,000 A.D. project. Nested within a First Nation it would also recognize and honour First Nation Sovereignty. Philosophical and imaginative postings are also welcomed. Enjoy! Sincerely-Dr. Franklin Wayne Poley (List Owner/Moderator).