I've always been interested in the idea of designing a community from the ground up based on principles like having a low environmental footprint, using solar and wind power, and other things like that. I've always thought that actually consciously planning a community rather than having them form and be inefficient as they are now would be an interesting way to do things.
So, I've started a thread. Let's hear what your ideal community, started from scratch, would be like.
Mine would be built someplace similar in climate to Alberta, I guess. I'd like the area to be farther from the rural and urban sprawl of Alberta though. It would be built somewhere windy, with a swift river. Preferably hot-springs as well. I'd rely on solar and hydro-electic power during the spring, summer, and autumn months and wind power year round. Excess power would be gathered during the summer months and used year round with large batteries. As well, power and heating would also be provided geo-thermally.
All vehicles would be required to be completely electric as all roadways would be underground and thus ventilation would be easier to manage without the emitions from internal combustion engines.
We'd import food, just like everyone else, but we'd also have some larger outdoor farms with a number of indoor greenhouse type farms.
Housing construction would be specialized to prevent heat transfer so they would be easier/less resource intensive to heat/cool. They'd probably look pretty uniform, as well. I picture the whole community as looking almost like what you'd picture a science fiction style colony on mars or the moon to look like. Anyway, I'm a little tired, going to go to bed, so my idea isn't really described as cohesively as I'd like but hopefully you get the picture. I wonder how many people would be required, using today's available technology, to create a self-sufficient colony like I have imagined. I'm sure the financial resources required would be phenomenal.
Anyway, what is everyone elses colony like?
So, I've started a thread. Let's hear what your ideal community, started from scratch, would be like.
Mine would be built someplace similar in climate to Alberta, I guess. I'd like the area to be farther from the rural and urban sprawl of Alberta though. It would be built somewhere windy, with a swift river. Preferably hot-springs as well. I'd rely on solar and hydro-electic power during the spring, summer, and autumn months and wind power year round. Excess power would be gathered during the summer months and used year round with large batteries. As well, power and heating would also be provided geo-thermally.
All vehicles would be required to be completely electric as all roadways would be underground and thus ventilation would be easier to manage without the emitions from internal combustion engines.
We'd import food, just like everyone else, but we'd also have some larger outdoor farms with a number of indoor greenhouse type farms.
Housing construction would be specialized to prevent heat transfer so they would be easier/less resource intensive to heat/cool. They'd probably look pretty uniform, as well. I picture the whole community as looking almost like what you'd picture a science fiction style colony on mars or the moon to look like. Anyway, I'm a little tired, going to go to bed, so my idea isn't really described as cohesively as I'd like but hopefully you get the picture. I wonder how many people would be required, using today's available technology, to create a self-sufficient colony like I have imagined. I'm sure the financial resources required would be phenomenal.
Anyway, what is everyone elses colony like?
