There’s a recurring theme in sci-fi and computer games – if you look out for it, you’ll notice it popping up again and again: the idea that mankind will eventually live in extremely high-density, self-contained cities. The premise is that each city is a self-sufficient unit packing as many people in as possible whilst also giving them access to essential services such as shopping, medical care, and easy access to their work. Is this at all likely, though?
Arcology is the fusion of architecture and ecology, giving rise to a set of architectural and design principles leaning towards the construction of huge habitation structures, sometimes known as “arcologies”. Arcologies are largely hypothetical at the moment, but there are some interesting cases where the theory is starting to become reality.
Timelinks’ “Ziggurat” arcology may be
home to up to one million people!
One such arcology is the Ziggurat, a pyramid-shaped city designed by Dubai-based company Timelinks. Timelinks believe that Ziggurat cities could sustain up to one million people in a space measuring only 2.3 sq km. An internal transport network will render cars redundant, and make travel very easy.
The Ziggurat looks amazing, and certainly fits with the sci-fi understanding of an arcology… it looks like it could easily be humanity’s last stand against a nuclear onslaught or something! However, not all arcologies are enclosed in this way:
The Dongtan Eco-City, currently being built in China, will be “sustainable not just environmentally, but also socially, economically and culturally”. Essentially then, it’ll be self-contained, but you can see if you visit the project’s website that it isn’t an enclosed system… it’s an open-air city much like any other, and the first phase should be opening in 2010.
The Dongtan Eco-City does bring an interesting point to mind, though. The common perception of arcologies is as massive and self-sufficient towers, whilst Dongtan is more like a well planned but otherwise normal town. It is, however, truly a fusion of architecture and ecology, so I guess it fits.
What do you think about this though? Would you want to live in a massive machine, albeit one that takes care of all your needs? Is Dongtan really just a rehash of the new town concept? Should all new developments be self-sustaining? Chip in with your opinion in the comments.
