I thought Arcosanti was designed as a money sink and a factory for ceramic bells. ;')
And while the Arcology buffs may think that Arcologies are immune to the constraints of technology, the laws of physics and chemistry (not to mention psychology, economics, etc..) won't disappear simply because an architect draws up some neat plans. the problems with things like elevators, plumbing, stairways, access crowding and time-to-outside won't be simply handwaved away. I really hate to think of what the traffic flow patterns around an arcology would be like.
Also, communities have been built primarily around economic and political factors in the past, leaving all abstract nonsense about density and energy flows aside. Hence cities like Beijing and Rome have reached populations of up to a million even before the automobile, and facing serious technological constraints. The fact that Arcosanti is pretty much a failure indicates that while technology is a limit, it is not a sufficient factor.
Re: Paolo Soleri's quote and technology
And while the Arcology buffs may think that Arcologies are immune to the constraints of technology, the laws of physics and chemistry (not to mention psychology, economics, etc..) won't disappear simply because an architect draws up some neat plans. the problems with things like elevators, plumbing, stairways, access crowding and time-to-outside won't be simply handwaved away. I really hate to think of what the traffic flow patterns around an arcology would be like.
Also, communities have been built primarily around economic and political factors in the past, leaving all abstract nonsense about density and energy flows aside. Hence cities like Beijing and Rome have reached populations of up to a million even before the automobile, and facing serious technological constraints. The fact that Arcosanti is pretty much a failure indicates that while technology is a limit, it is not a sufficient factor.