Energy: patterns, planning and architecture

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

STRIP MINING: The strip mining of five states—as proposed by "rational" politicians and energy company officials—to provide energy for the remaining 45 is no answer either. We simply can't afford the loss of cropland and living space. And, besides, what will we do when the stripable fuel is gone? Many of our synthetic products (and there's not enough natural ones to go around anymore) are derived from coal and oil and gas. Burning the last of the fossil fuels will preclude their use.

ALL RIGHT THEN, WHAT CAN WE DO?

The preceding part of this address suggests insurmountable problems and, certainly, there is no easy way out of the bottomless pit into which we now plunge. Still, if we're willing to make the effort—and it will have to be a large one—we may yet have a faint hope of altering our destiny.

U.S. CITIES DO NOTHAVE TOBE BAD

Although most past and present urban areas in the United States "just kind of happened" and—if planned at all—have been based on the false assumption that we'd always have unlimited energy and other natural resources, there is no reason for future towns to make the same mistake.

As a matter of fact, several very recent examples of what a U.S. town can be have already begun to map out dramatically more satisfying and ecologically sound ideas for a community. Leading this new trend is "Coldspring", a village of 12,800 people in 3,780 units on 370 acres. The town, designed by Moshe Safdie and currently under construction within the city of Baltimore, will be essentially pedestrian with only one road crossing its enormous tract of land. All breadwinners will work within walking distance of their homes, children will walk safely to school and local markets and boutiques will provide pedestrian shopping without the unnerving experience of driving and the resulting assault of pollution.

I believe we will have a much healthier and happier America if we apply, on a large scale, some of the guiding principles behind Coldspring and her sister villages. We must:

ACTIVELY REDUCE CONSUMPTION AND WASTE. In the planning and operation of our urban areas and throughout the rest of our society.

ESTABLISH PRIORITIES FOR THE USE OF ENERGY AND OTHER RESOURCES. The public, business, the professions and government must be coordinated in this undertaking. State land use policies must be established to ensure the preservation of town sites and agricultural and recreational acreage.

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print