Utopia

I envision Utopia as the unification of natural landscapes with a dispersed urban form. A pristine natural landscape would be dotted only by dense clusters of housing, industry, and multipurpose centres, sewn together by interurban rail lines that would pass through a hinterland preserved under the principle of a public commons.  The city would take on a regional scale with 1 million inhabitants living in dense clusters of 100,000 that would be be dispersed  across the landscape (along with industrial and multipurpose centres) 15 kilometres apart and connected by a dense interurban network.

The housing of utopia would be made up of sleek glass towers that operate under a ccooperative principal that include a wide variety of housing to suit all income levels and eliminate the problems of income segregation.  As relatively large centres the housing clusters could support day to day amenities such as markets, primary and secondary education, and recreational facilities (including surrounding parklands).  Within the housing cluster life would be centred upon the interurban station and no structure would be further than a 15 minute stroll.

Businesses and industry of Utopia that could not be integrated into the residential centres would operate within designated clusters linked to the interurban network that would find ample land and be free of the problems associated with industrial enterprises in the urban context (such as noise and unsightliness complaints).  In addition, the clusters would foster creativity and innovation by grouping like-minded individuals together.

Cultural, recreational, and governmental facilities that required a larger base than 100,000 people would also be grouped into multipurpose designated districts that would be centred upon interurban stations and have plenty of land available for future development. As well as built facilities, the interstitial multi-use facility of the public commons between the clusters would support agriculture, recreation, and nature.

 

 

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