http://www.arcosanti.org/

Arcosanti Project History

Setting Rebar during Construction of the Vaults : Photo : Cosanti Foundation In 1970, the Cosanti Foundation began building Arcosanti, an experimental town in the high desert of Arizona, 70 miles north of metropolitan Phoenix. When complete, Arcosanti will house 5000 people, demonstrating ways to improve urban conditions and lessen our destructive impact on the earth. Its large, compact structures and large-scale solar greenhouses will occupy only 25 acres of a 4060 acre land preserve, keeping the natural countryside in close proximity to urban dwellers.

Palol Soleri will be 90 years old next month. How will his vision live on?

Arcology is Paolo Soleri's concept of cities which embody the fusion of architecture with ecology. The arcology concept proposes a highly integrated and compact three-dimensional urban form that is the opposite of urban sprawl with its inherently wasteful consumption of land, energy and time, tending to isolate people from each other and the community. The complexification and miniaturization of the city enables radical conservation of land, energy and resources.

An arcology would need about two percent as much land as a typical city of similar population. Today’s typical city devotes more than sixty percent of its land to roads and automobile services. Arcology eliminates the automobile from within the city. The multi-use nature of arcology design would put living, working and public spaces within easy reach of each other and walking would be the main form of transportation within the city.

An arcology’s direct proximity to uninhabited wilderness would provide the city dweller with constant immediate and low-impact access to rural space as well as allowing agriculture to be situated near the city, maximizing the logistical efficiency of food distribution systems. Arcology would use passive solar architectural techniques such as the apse effect, greenhouse architecture and garment architecture to reduce the energy usage of the city, especially in terms of heating, lighting and cooling. Overall, arcology seeks to embody a “Lean Alternative” to hyper consumption and wastefulness through more frugal, efficient and intelligent city design.

Arcology theory holds that this leanness is obtainable only via the miniaturization intrinsic to the Urban Effect, the complex interaction between diverse entities and organisms which mark healthy systems both in the natural world and in every successful and culturally significant city in history.

She rests...

10 weeks, 3 countries, 4 currencies, countless planes, trains, buses, tuk tuks, cyclos, taxi meters, motorbikes and a bicycle.

It's been an amazing, soul searching, heart finding, magical journey. Many blessing to all who I met and to all of the sights that have awed, dazzled and open this girls very wide eyes, I'm humbled & grateful ~*Thank You!

It’s been my intention, as my blogg is titled, to seek; Peace ~ Love & Wide Wings, within myself through this adventure. Traveling for me, was of course about seeing new lands, meeting new people though, more importantly, it was about placing myself outside my norms, stepping away from my daily routines and pushing beyond my comfort zone. I knew there would be great excitement around each corner but, I also knew that there would be challenge. I knew there would be places and events that would cause unease, even frighten me a bit, cause sorrow and leave me wondering and questioning my own reality. It has been with this that I learn more about who I am, what I am capable of, and just as important, what and who I am not.

Peace came with ease, early on. True love was also found, within my soul. And those wide wings, I feel have also take sprout. Time to take them all for a spin in the next chapter in my life.

After a few daz of transition & thought about how to carry the enlightenment into each new day, I look forward to finding a new home in San Francisco, starting school and working on my future business which, ta-da has its' new name; Avalon! A word, a place that has had great meaning to me. I feel it suits my vision.

Thank you so much for following my whereabouts and supporting my enthusiasm. I may continue to add to this blogg as, many life adventures are still to be had.

Thank you,
I love you,
Good luck to You!

Phnom Pen, Cambodia ~ It’s exotic, it’s chaotic, it’s beguiling, it’s distressing, it’s compulsive, it’s repulsive. Every day brings a different experience, some shock the senses, others bring a smile, some confound logic, others wrench the emotions. Many cities are captivating, but Phnom Pen is unique in its capacity to both charm and chill to the bone.

It’s barley been 30 years, much less in true peace time. The senior population still alive, hold heavy sighs, younger, my age were small children, lucky to survive…I have attempted to but, there is no way to know such tragedy; this country has been to hell and back. The glamorous ‘pearl of Asia” in Sihanouk’s 60’s, it was evacuated then eviscerated under the Khmer Rouge, only to rise from the ashes of civil war. Today’s Cambodia, a large village, a city is rising.

The once sleepy streets are developing into a chaotic mess of motorcycles, cars, minibuses, ox carts and remorques battling for space. Poverty is endemic and one not well addressed at all by the country's largely dysfunctional government yet, Phnom Penh is a charming spot.

The kids are just trying to be kids…lugging around heavy books, stories of the tragedy their parents lived through. Running the streets, hoping for just 1 US dollar in a long days’ work, squeezing in moments to laugh and play with friends…who also, pound the same bumpy pavement, begging strangers/tourists who have so many more dollars…who’s happier?

Good luck to you!

Ancient Angkor

The history of Angkor, as they know dates back to the ninth century. The ancient civilization of what I feel was a utopia of higher living, thrived in a heaven like condition of abundance. Without going into the history, I will say; they lived a beautiful, amazing, plentiful life. This 'lost city' still stands for us to come and listen to the love, light and magic that is all very very real.

My experience here is still being processed. This place has moved me like none other. A pilgrimage that will stay with me always is an extremely profound way. I look forward to sharing many stories, thoughts, beliefs of what was, how this relates to now and what we take into our future as humans here and now. The temples of Angkor Wat~ divine inspiration!

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Up at 4am, 6 hour standing only train ride from Bangkok to the boarder of Thailand, tuk tuk to immigration, visa office, touts that 'seem' to offer help, another bus to a 2 hour taxi into Siem Reap, Cambodia... phrewww, so glad my guest house guide help me through most of that! It's a 1000 degrees...

This is the most raw place I have been so far. They literally just finished paving the Hwy on Sunday. Most roads in this bustling, net savvy city are still rocky, bumpy, dirt dirt dirt. This country is still crippled by a short term outlook that encourages people to lives for today rather than thinking about tomorrow, because a short while ago there was no tomorrow.

The people are warm, friendly, great sense of humor. We're all just trying to get along in this world, yes!

I've not yet been here 24hrs...

(Off to the Angkor Wat temples for the next 3 days)