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Arcology is a set of architectural design principles as described by the architect Paolo Soleri. 2 The word combines architecture and ecology. They are enormous habitats of extremely high human population density. While some relatively small experimental constructs have been created at Arcosanti in central Arizona, USA, the term is generally limited to Soleri's writings and various fiction and games that have (often erroneously) picked up the idea. Fictional products such as the "SimCity" computer game sequels have made the blunder of using the word "arcology" as if it means a structure itself (properly called a hyperstructure) rather than the ideas underlying the structure's design. Popular in science fiction, hyperstructures are generally advocated as solutions to the problems of overpopulation and environmental degradation, as they reduce the ecological footprint of cities, though with a higher population density and massive modification on a specific piece of land. Soleri's book "The City in the Image of Man" actually posited the use of hyperstructures in all accessible environments - in space, under the sea, etc.
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Development of the arcology idea
According to Soleri, the basic ideas of arcology stem from concerns that urbanization is claiming an excessive amount of space on Earth and that a more efficient, technologically-driven but ecologically gentle option, is to increase population densities into minimal "footprints" that would preserve surrounding lands for natural ecosystems. In "Arcology: The City in the Image of Man," Soleri describes ways of compacting our city structures in three dimensions to combat two-dimensional urban sprawl. While this led to many science fiction interpretations of domed cities, Soleri's ideas aren't just the "human beehive" model popular in science fiction. They also encompass vast differences in societal thinking regarding some of the same things that Frank Lloyd Wright touched upon in transport, agriculture and commerce. Soleri deepened Wright's ideas of what might specifically need to be done by exploring resource consumption and duplication, land reclamation, elimination of most private transport in favor of public transport and greater use of social resources like public libraries. This concept also emphasizes, in a broader scale, more efficient use of resources and compacting of urban space to preserve the environment. It must be noted that the tone of Soleri's book is far from academic. Soleri's ideas crossed freely into those that are not a part of mainstream social science, into the purely hypothetical. "The City in the Image of Man" is based primarily on the principle that cities are like organisms and should be designed as such; thus, "in the image of man."
Construction methods for hyperstructures are being tested at Arcosanti. Otherwise, arcology is restricted to paper proposals and fictional depictions, such as Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's Oath of Fealty or as elements in computer and video games, such as SimCity 2000, Escape Velocity Nova, and Deus Ex: Invisible War.
The first hyperstructure to be described in fiction was probably "The Last Redoubt" from The Night Land by William Hope Hodgson, first published in 1912. It is a pre-Soleri envisioning of arcology, including full artificial ecology, agriculture, and public transport by mobile roadways.
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Real-life visions
Many cities in the world have had proposed or desired hyperstructures that never went far. Tokyo has had many, which are listed here.
Apparently, a new "eco-city" or self-sustaining urban centre the size of a large western capital is to be built at Dongtan near Shanghai *. The first phase is on target to open by 2010 and to be "completed" by 2040.
Co-op City in New York City could be considered a proto-hyperstructure, with many services provided on-site. A telecommuter might never need to leave Co-Op City, which is one of the principles of arcology.
Near the village of Cordes Junction, Arizona off Interstate 17 north of Phoenix, an arcologically-inspired hyperstructure is under construction. Arcosanti, a full city being designed by Paolo Soleri. However, the construction is very slow due to lack of funding.
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Arcology in popular culture
William Hope Hodgson's extraordinary 1912 novel The Night Land features the first example of what we now would call a hyperstructure, though the future Earthlings depicted - millions of years into the future, in fact - have different reasons for building their metallic pyramid.
In the table-top strategy game Warhammer 40,000, hyperstructures, called "hives," are extremely common and are the main method of housing large populations. Arcologies are so widespread that some planets, Holy Terra and Mars amongst others, dubbed 'hive worlds', are constructed entirely of hyperstructures.
The computer game SimCity 2000 allows the construction of four different types of "arcologies." sic Unfortunately, the game makers have misunderstood Soleri's language and used the wrong word to describe the structures in their game (the correct word should be hyperstructure, with arcology properly referring to the principles of architectural design advocated by Soleri). The most primitive hyperstructure ("arcology") model in the game holds relatively few people and produces considerable pollution, while more advanced models are clean and efficient. There's also a heavily polluted industrial one that was inspired by dark Sci-Fi stories, it's rumoured to be filled with mutants who roam in secret. With the exception of one landmark called the Braun Llama Dome, these are the tallest structures in the game. Incidentally, when a sufficient number of these more advanced models called "Launch Arcos" (see picture) are built, the exodus sequence starts, and all hyperstructures ("arcologies") of this kind are launched into space to colonize other worlds. This actually parallels parts of Soleri's book in which hyperstructures were shown as being appropriate for environments in space, under the sea, in polar lands, etc.
In the 1982 film Blade Runner by Ridley Scott, the main offices of the fictional Tyrell Corporation (a Megacorp) resemble a hyperstructure; The Genom Tower arcologies (among other things) in the anime Bubblegum Crisis were partially inspired by the Tyrell hyperstructure.
In the RPG Shadowrun, a number of hyperstructures exist by 2050, most of which are mega-corporate controlled. A major theme to these is the desire of the big corporation to control every aspect of their employees' lives. A major meta-plot element was the sealing off one in Seattle when the advanced computer control system awakened into a self-aware AI which sought to protect itself.
In the RPG Trinity, a number of hyperstructures exist, with the largest being that of the New New York "Arcology" sic run by the Psi-Order Orgotek.
In the novel The World Inside by Robert Silverberg, everyone lived in 'Urban Monads' which were self-contained three kilometer high hyperstructures. People hardly ever departed.
In the season four finale of the science fiction show Andromeda a large battle takes place in space around an antiquated space hyperstructure known simply as 'Arcology'.
In the computer game Afterlife, the player controlling Heaven and/or Hell can eventually purchase Love Domes or Ombibolges. Functioning similarly to hyperstructures, these structures are the remnants of transcended/destroyed Heaven/Hells that are able to hold billions of souls.
In the film Equilibrium, a hyperstructure named Libria is the last human civilization, a society in which peace is kept by the forced administration of an injected liquid drug designed to completely suppress emotions.
In the Computer game Civilization: Call To Power, the "Arcology Advance," found in a near future part of the technology list, grants access to the Arcology building, which reduces overcrowding effects in its host city.
In the science-fiction movie series "The Matrix", the last human city, known as Zion, is a hyperstructure. Due to nuclear scarring of the earth's surface and atmosphere, the hyperstructure is buried deeply under ground. While ecologically sparse, the habitat's climate is controlled by complex machinery in the lower levels. The population is in the realm of 1 million. Due to the nature of the aggression from the machines, Zion is an example of a heavily fortified hyperstructure.
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See also
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