The core of this new ecological world view that will hopefully be the
framework of cities if they are transformed into eco-cities.
John Jerde a successful architect who was once an apprentice at
Cosanti (Paolo Soleri's first project), is interested in building a eco-
tourist destination site along the lines of the aestetic model that is found
at Arcosanti and espoused in Paolo Soleri's vision: the Arcology. This
in Jerde's mind would entail finishing Arcosanti within five to ten years.
Such a project could be much more than just a tourist destination: it
could in fact incorporate the principles of the industrial ecology vision
within its aesthetic spaces, thus incorporating one of the core values of
ecological and permaculture design: multi-use.
Industrial ecology and permaculture fit together well with many of the
Arcology concepts forwarded by Paolo Soleri. Sustainable technologies
stacked in integrated and interelated industrial systems can serve three
important purposes:
1) Generate income to sustain and grow this holistic experiment in
what is presently little more than a vision of ecological community
design, but what is anticipated to eventually evolve into urban
designs for large cities. This shall only happen when these
alternative economic grow efficient and large enough to compete or
to out-compete conventional economic systems.
2) Provide eco-tourist attractions, which educate and inspire by way
of new innovative technologies. Seeing the integrated and closed
system approach of sustainable industrial design will encourage
others to push for such changes within their cities and communities,
thus forwarding the industrial aspect of the lean mind set.
3) Utilizing the industrial ecology as an important value added
component of the city's aesthetic space. This is an important
characteristic of difference between existing communities that
have heavily polluted and aesthetically dismal industrial zones.
The eradication of these depressing and unhealthy urban areas will
add to the urban effect in terms of uplifting the members of the
community by way of a new industrial, which adds to aesthetic or
artistic grace, and beauty of the city instead of subtracting from
it. Such a uplifting may be an important ingredient in reached a
psychological critical mass within the community.