Arcosanti
Lance Motta-Vilensky
Imagine a futuristic world in which humans live, work and recreate in small, aesthetically pleasing high density cities; urban environments where, among other things, the absence of automobiles affords the opportunity to live in harmony with the ecological environment. This was the dream of architect and urban designer Paolo Soleri when he and thousands of volunteers from around the world began constructing an experimental city called Arcosanti in Arizona’s high desert in 1970. Would his vision become the model for future development, preventing the advancement of urban sprawl and its negative impact on the environment in places like Phoenix, a city of about 500,000 in 1970? Today, the greater Phoenix metropolitan area has a population approaching 5,000,000, while the population of Arcosanti is about 100. Despite the story these figures tell, the story of human cultural and social evolution is not yet over. There were 3.6 billion people on our planet in 1970. Today there are over 7 billion. As the health of the planet becomes more precarious, it may be that one day Soleri’s vision of the future will become a reality. In the meantime, you can journey back to the future by visiting Arcosanti, a one hour drive north on I-17. Plan your journey and learn more about this extraordinary place at Arcosanti.org.