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Arcologies are self-contained cities with high population densities, designed to minimize the human footprint on the environment. They have not yet been built, but an experimental city in Arizona is attempting a similar model. Arcologies aim to balance housing and human resources with a man-made ecology, and have been proposed as a paradigm for colonizing other planets. The term was invented by Paolo Soleri in the 1950s, and has been featured in science fiction and games. Arcologies are a social experiment that requires input from various professionals, and the Japanese government has announced plans for a 300-story arcology called X-Seed 3000.
Arcologies are large self-contained cities with extremely high human population densities. They are usually presented as tall structures that use height to minimize the human footprint on the environment. Arcologies are frequently found in science fiction and games.
A true arcology has not yet been built, although there is an experimental city in Arizona that is attempting a similar arcology model. A true arcology would contain a complete internal ecosystem, or even function if hermetically sealed. For this reason arcologies have been proposed as a paradigm for the colonization of other planets.
The term was invented in the 1950s by the Italian-American architect Paolo Soleri, who combined the words architecture and ecology. The concept of arcology aims to minimize the structure necessary for the high density of human population, guaranteeing everyone direct access to it. Arcologies are also intended as an alternative to slums, where population density exceeds the expected carrying capacity of the civilian infrastructure. The first arcology to be featured in fiction was probably “The Last Redoubt” from William Hope Hodgson’s The Night Land, first published in 1912. In modern times, the arcology has been described as a futuristic building in the popular game for SimCity 2000 computer, and the movie Blade Runner.
An arcology must carefully balance housing and human resource needs with the natural needs of a man-made ecology, all sealed within a secure infrastructure. The ecology must be well balanced, with no species going extinct or reproducing out of control. Human waste must not cause the deterioration of the ecology. Because achieving this fine balance isn’t easy, and hasn’t been done yet, designing an arcology needs input from civil planners, biologists, architects, naturalists, the public, and more.
Arcologies could be thought of as a social experiment. Collective social resources such as libraries and hospitals could be more fully exploited by members of the population. Private transport would be sacrificed in favor of public transport systems. Arcologie have been designed by numerous architects in different countries, but none of these projects have yet been implemented. The Japanese government has announced several long-term projects involving the possible construction of arcologies, including plans for a 300-story arcology called X-Seed 3000.
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