Background and Rationale:
There has been concern about what appears to be a long term pattern of neglect of the general site and appearance of Arcosanti.
Sociologists refer to the Broken Window Syndrome as a decline in the appearance of communities that eventually affects the self-esteem of the community by its respective members. Arcosanti residents cannot be expected to excel so as the preconditions are not there to facilitate that excellence and dedication to the foundation mission that goes beyond the need for a week or bi-weekly paycheck. Furthermore these practices or lack thereof actually undermine the professionalism of the foundation.
A steady and incremental decline in the maintenance and appearance of Arcosanti (as more buildings have been completed) over the years has affected the general operation and appearance of Arcosanti and is actually counterproductive to The Cosanti Foundation's stated mission: offer a viable and compelling alternative to urban sprawl.
Potential Consequences & Possible Reasons for Taking Action:
Issues related to the lack of maintenance at Arcosanti include:
Poor employee morale (actually gives them a sense of dis-empowerment)
Gives the appearance that the foundation has a lack of care and respect for the employees/residents who also live at Arcosanti
Gives a negative impression on those who tour the site and see the disrepair.
Specific Examples of Site Decline and Disrepair Include:
Deterioration of Laundry room, Community Kitchen and Bathroom areas.
Bar in Cafe has formica that is chipped.
Office has worn out carpet and chairs that look unsightly
Wrecked cars scattered about the site including one former site vehicle (Yellow Chevy Truck) that has been abandoned in the recycling area and is now used by a employee as ad-hoc storage facility
Unfinished landscaping (such as in the visitor parking area and at the Arcosanti entrance), erosion and weed problems on and around site.Broken windows in Red Room
Leaky buildings that increase maintenance costs such as is the case with the Laundry Room
Stairs to top of Vaults are falling apart and possible safety hazard
Possible Actions & Remedies:
We have identified several steps to address what we believe are part of a systemic problem in the degradation of Arcosanti's site and appearance:
We propose selecting a focus project that can improve the appearance of Arcosanti such as the one suggested below.
We propose the forming of a committee of residents and employees who would report to ALT and identify problem areas and ways to solve them.
We propose that Foundation make the upkeep of Arcosanti a priority and that funds be allocated as well as additional funds are raised through benefits and campaigns.
In addition we suggest that community members that are concerned about the state and appearance of Arcosanti volunteer their time and coordinate with the Maintenance Department.
References & Supporting Materials:
Read more detailed report on Site Appearance at Arcosanti titled: Discussion regarding Planning to Improve Arcosanti Site Operation, Appearance and Safety.
Also see the original copy of this webpage which was presented and discussed to Arcosanti Community Council as a proposed letter to the Foundation Board expressing some of our concerns. My recollection was that it was never sent. I am sharing it here to provide a record of the communications and discussion and aid possible future efforts to resolve this issue.