America’s Experimental City - Arcosanti

Is this the future of cities? Arcosanti is America’s Experimental City … An Urban Laboratory in the desert. Everything at Arcosanti revolves around sustainable architecture and its relationship to the real world. The goal is to build a society that works with the environment rather than fighting it. With apparent problems like climate change, population growth, and consumerism Arcosanti is testing alternatives in hopes of building a better, happier society. #Environment #Architecture #Sustainable
Find our APPAREL HERE: www.offthecuf.com/apparel
Everyone seems to know of a unique location for us to explore next. Let us know YOURS at: www.offthecuf.com/whereshould...
View the full episode on Amazon Prime: www.amazon.com/Off-the-Cuf/dp...
Chris: chrisparr21
Harris: harry_d_
Off the Cuff: flutterbrothers_offthecuf
Music by:
Robert Pirogovsky
Sukchan Lee
Itay Amram
Animation by:
Bobby Cohen
Thumbnail image: Alamy

[@OfftheCuff_Series]

What do YOU think the future of cities will be?

[@postindustrial76]

Idk probably like Leviathans swallowing and destroying everything in it's path all I know is that I don't want to be in any cities in the future rural living is the best

[@grug4324]

I believe what is practically a hive of condensed humans is not the future

[@ThisIsGoogle]

I don't know, but that crap looks like crap. Because it's crap.

[@sicko_the_ew]

It would be nicer to think about what they _should_ be, but what _will_ they be? And I suppose the likeliest is that there will be more of the same, all over again. Lots of people want a suburban lifestyle just because it's "normal" - familiar. To replace sprawled suburbia, you need an alternative that beats it point-for-point in terms of the positive attributes of that sprawl. (I have lots of ideas about this. Too many, probably. I'd better not pollute this reply with them. Maybe I'll try setting out what turns out to be a fairly similar idea to the original one this community was built on in the more general comments.) Let me just pick a single aspect. Lots of people want their stink machines, so there needs to be some storage place for those, where they can depart to other places from, on drives. (It's probably not much of a loss, losing whoever likes to "promenade" in front of the rest of the world in some stink machine, since it would be better not to have that.)

[@robincunningham7710]

@@sicko_the_ew . .

[@msal]

I like seeing a different approach to metropolitan living. Would be interesting to see a similar concept, but nature focused instead, such as sustainable urban farming or something like that, but still vertically stacked like Arcosanti wants to be.

[@joydakinisun4496]

Maybe interesting for you? I also research in this area and found YT future thinkers...hope you enjoy🙏kzbin.info/www/bejne/eIWbqGeNbtR1ipI

[@ttopero]

Sounds like many European agrarian villages, just not as vertical as we conceive of today. Maybe the human scale absent elevators is our natural vertical limit, like here.

[@westcoast9585]

Treehouses!

[@actionfaction2558]

Right, like in the Appalachian Mountains where it is a lot more green, and water is more abundant.

[@matthewfontaine4928]

I had a friend that volunteered here one summer. She said that the cult vibes weren’t front and center but were Definetely in the air, and that it didn’t seem too sustainable considering most of the profits come from tourism

[@soniablaire3254]

It's obvious they have no idea what they're doing.

[@annalorraine2051]

At least they're trying something

[@groovygeometry5306]

@@soniablaire3254 Arcosanti has been around for 50 years and continues to exist, so obviously having no idea what they're doing, in your opinion, seems to work. The place has been built with the labor and love of thousands of volunteers since 1970. If you ever get the chance to visit and stay there, it's not difficult to appreciate the beauty and ingenuity that has been thoughtfully created out in the desert.

[@bullymaguire7337]

@@groovygeometry5306 No, not exactly.

[@groovygeometry5306]

@@bullymaguire7337 well, currently I'm sitting in the central plaza of Arcosanti, known as the Vaults, listening to the sound of Arizona wood toads and chirping crickets. Off to one side of the Vaults is the Arcomart which functions as nightclub/pub/karaoke bar/creative space.., that is now hosting, "Crappy Hour"; a time to share a beer or two amongst imbibing community members after a day's work. BB King is belting sweetly out of the sound system and folks pop in and out as they stroll across the site. I'm not catching any cult vibes or even discussions of politics, religion, etc. The current conversation within earshot is about compost aeration, septic systems, and mycelium. I've traveled around a good part of the world and have yet to find a place as both industrious and chill as Arcosanti. Judge all you want from a distance, but right here right now it's petty sweet.

[@selassietetevie4966]

Coming from a largely unbuilt country in Africa, I see this top down intellectual design of community space as the wrong approach which would encourage cult like leadership abuse. How long till the rule makers decide how you should live,and soon start monitoring you for compliance. In my casual view, humans create community based on ability to sustain the body ,family and the society. Until we know how the future economy will be its all speculation, will we be eating lab grown food, and travelling by personal drone.all this can significantly change the way we live.

[@Taber01]

You are right, there are dozens of failed examples where it all started good, then most of the work gets done by a few and the ones in charge just start to get too full of themselves. Even HOA's shows what can start as a good idea can become a nightmare when the wrong people are eventually able to take charge

[@pouncepounce7417]

I think it is in between. You need a living community, and you need expertise and an form of direction to make it real good. Architecture is an very important factor, thinking hard about how to do it before building something that has impact on a whole community is very important, if only because it means investing a lot of materials and energy. Building an city without cars is an concious effort, building cities with cars came naturally and it is something we have problems with now, because if you have a city where you need an car to exist in it something is very wrong. Size, people are build to live in an community ideally around 100 to 200 people, that is what we can socially manage mentally, so making cities that are subunits of 200 people and grouped into 2000 people self sustained cities that would be ideal, the perfect balance in between ammount of people and size of the city. But all that needs and framework to manage it, natural growth means sprawling cities that you need an day travel to leave to experience untouched nature, and who have social hotspots and so on, because people are not made to interact with six million other people.

[@Sam_Guevenne]

@@Taber01 "Even HOA's shows what can start as a good idea can become a nightmare when the wrong people are eventually able to take charge" So just regular society then

[@Taber01]

@@Sam_Guevenne Yes but magnified as you can't walk away easily

[@draunt7]

They actually point out that they are opposed to hero-worship. I don't know if you've ever experienced direct democracy, but its incredibly refreshing to have representatives actually rep you and work on your behalf.

[@cbligerman]

I visited Arcosanti in 2013, it's an amazing place but the original vision will not be realized. Even with water collection I don't think it could be self sustaining.

[@sampine4666]

I live in east central Arizona, where the monsoon is such an important component for water. Where Arcosanti is located, there is almost no water potential from the monsoon. Monsoon rains miss the central and southern part of Arizona a lot, but it still rains in that area, but it doesn't recharge the aquifers. There might be some ground water potential, but in most of Arizona north of the Mogollon Rim, you will have to drill really deep to get to the water table.

[@americanindependantmedia9229]

I lived in Cordes Lakes for a while. The monsoon season was pretty hard. Lots of riverbeds in the areas, that fill for a few days a year. I worked at the private school called Orme, just across the hwy from Arcosonti. There is a lot of water around that area to collect. The only thing holding back Arcosonti, is the inhabitants. Living so close, I use to go out there often. I got hooked on a little hippy chick that lived there..lol They made some great breads, and awful bells...lmao Unless they have done some big upgrades, there wasnt anyone actually living in the place. They have a 'camp' of campers that they all lived in.

[@jebise1126]

well... it doesnt have to be completely self sustainable and off the grid but even grid friendly would help a lot. collect rain water when you can an store to water plants and not rely on the grid all the time.

[@aaronself2411]

@@jebise1126 I think you just figured out the problem. Everyone wants to be "off the grid" but that's not really possible in a lot of places, not practical in others, and realistically in a day and age of satellites that can read newspapers from space, you're never really off the grid. We need more grid friendly practices, but these off the grid people want to be away from society, but their solution is just their own version of society.

[@robertschenck9902]

Arcosanti as a ‘lab and a model’ rings true to me. Labs are places where failure is just the next step closer to success and launching a clean sheet community plan from the last iteration of the best experience is a good place to start a new vision that can succeed.

[@TheMatbrown]

The statement in the beginning said it all, we can't keep building the way we used to, we have to think outside the box...

[@kshudson4285]

It does seem cultish. The idea has merit and possibilities, but it does have strange vibes to it. If there was solid town foundation it would have a better chance. I like the over all idea, but it leans toward a cult of personalities which never ends well.

[@cdcurry1203]

I think it looks like a concrete jungle of sorts, I do love the concept but the results so far seem lack luster. If people are to walk about the city it should look and feel appealing.

[@thebluedan]

The masks and obvious conversation bodily distances says to me that these people are still very conditioned and lack real alternative free thinking. Cultish and communists vibes.

[@goldviper5280]

I live in the Valley of the Sun (Phoenix, AZ). We have visited Arcosanti several times, it is very enlightening to visit. We bought one of there custom made brass bells many years ago and it still hangs on our patio. There is also an Arcosanti in Scottsdale, AZ., much smaller and in the form of a garden with some buildings in there architecture and they sell the bells there as well.

[@simcat3871]

I visited this place and had the same tour guide lol Positives: The people were kind, even though they gave culty vibes. The work/life tradeoff is a solid idea for young, able-bodied people. The "idea" behind the community is inspiring. It has cute architecture ig photos. Negatives: It was very very hot. Their natural cooling system didn't actually work. They don't get power from solar or anything that's actually sustainable. Their trees are not native and require a lot of water waste. Furniture and appliances seem run down. It's isolated since its a far and rocky ride from other towns. They say that things don't matter, but they are required to make and sell chimes to keep lights on. I'm shocked that they aren't at least food sustainable by now. It just seems like a home for lost people.

[@Echemusic]

that does seem illogical that they don't access the vast amount of sustainable resources around them such as energy, also that using native plants would help so much with conserving water ect. it seems like that would lead the way for this settlement to be much more long lasting and sustainable

[@heathercarter9741]

I remember playing sim city and getting the arcology unlocked for high density living and this is the reality of that and it's mind blowing.

[@YesItsMeGuys68]

Look closely at the concrete surfaces in the amphitheater ... its pretty new yet the edges are breaking up / cracking

[@Campzzyzx]

All the best Cults start with well intentioned communities. I look forward to the true crime expose` to follow

[@sircharlesmormont9300]

This has some worrying implications. For example, it seems as though people who are elderly or disabled would not be welcome in the city. There are a lot of stairs and the cost of entry is six months of difficult physical labor!

[@sarahemery6581]

Yes they don’t have any interest in accessibility or safety for families and especially children. Places like these exists all over and a lot of them are not allowed to have children there. Abusers use any access to children they can and isolate them. Hmm makes sense why there was abuse that occurred by the actual founder. I love when he said “kind of a cult”, like yeah but they deny that up and down huh.

[@kangtheconqueroriii7724]

People of the last 2 generations don't believe they'll get old til they do. Leave them be. It's not for everyone. Some people want the cities to be JUST LIKE THE DYSTOPIAN NIGHTMARES...EVERYONE IS TAKING THAT BULLET TRAIN TO EXTINCTION LET THEM

[@Nukepositive]

@Sir Charles Mormont Yeah, it seems like the real solution is to take big cities and redesign them to be car-free, to upzone them for more units per acre and zone almost all mixed-use development. It would certainly be a lot more impactful than a handful of people working on an experiment in the desert. We already have solutions, we just need to implement them.

[@loudmouthnewyorker2803]

HAH! This "experiment" is failure waiting to happen. Completely utilatarian. If one of the big guys get sick or one of the women get preganant then what. No medical facilities or urgent care. What happens if there's a fire or a bunch of them smoke some crazy mushrooms and decide to hurt the others. No police either. This nothing but a cult that makes bells. They'll be gone in 20 years.

[@zumis1011]

@@loudmouthnewyorker2803 Smoking mushrooms doesn't work

[@RoundPea]

"it's kind of...culty.." haha. really cool idea, I might try and detour to visit on my next roadtrip. maybe buy a bell 🔔

[@OfftheCuff_Series]

Please do! :) Let them know you saw this video

[@Jimbo_McBacon]

The whole 1970's really was a cult. Just watch any movies from then, it's weird! And I grew up then, and I still think it's a creepy, culty weirdo of a decade. Still, some amazing sci-fi came out of the '70's.

[@dragoonTT]

City living would be great without the vehicles.

[@purplenurp5590]

Lol until you have to go anywhere lmfao

[@MarlowWhere]

@@purplenurp5590 trains, plains, busses, bikes, your feet.

[@zariballard]

@@MarlowWhere Speak for yourself. I'll drive my car, thank you. And you ride your bike.

[@MarlowWhere]

@@zariballard cool. But there's plenty of other ways to get around. You just can't imagine life without a car.

[@MrTaxiRob]

@@MarlowWhere Zari talks about freedom but is a slave to the car

[@Jimbo_McBacon]

Saw this on a news program in the 1970's and visited in 1986. Beautiful place So sad to hear about his crimes against his own daughter. This will of course tarnish his vision from now on, but others will build new visions based on what has come before. It is still a masterpiece of living functioning science fiction village in the desert from the same decade that brought us the Tatooine of Star Wars. I see the same funky futuristic fingerprints in both architectural designs.

[@opusydaisy6563]

I remember driving on the I 17 and slowly watching the build of Arcosanti. The buildings are the largest earthship. It was very strange seeing tires stacked up and not having any idea of what was going on, next time you would drive by there would be a wall where the tires had been and your wondering what happened to the tires. Majority of people traveling on the I 17 just thought it was some strange person out there doing something odd. Until the 1st building took shape. That was that moment when your brain clicked on and you understand that the person was not crazy. They were recycling to lower the cost of the build. Arcosant did not have it's own exit on I 17 and for many years people did not know what to call it, until it was opened to visitors. So I went and glad that I did. This got me thinking on how I can reduce my waste and go off grid. Had a very nice lunch there and everything was homemade and delicious. Give it a try and see what Arcosanti can do for you. Also when your in the Restaurant check out the new vision of Arcosanti that is in progress West of Las Vegas on your way to Barstow if you ever wanted to know what those strange towers are in the desert, Arcosanti will have the answer. Enjoy

[@ReelNorthOutdoors]

Truly an “Off the Cuff” place! Great video!

[@OfftheCuff_Series]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@maunashakti4905]

I love the original idea of the architect, the people who are dreaming & working to make it a reality. But the water thing?! Sending blessings to those who are working to make this a reality.

[@shaicohen2]

"naw man we make bells" - love this guy

[@Iamtheonewhoistheone]

Just found you guys off tik tok you definitely deserve a much larger following, keep it up! The quality and time put into your videos shows!

[@ene0613]

What's the tiktok handle?

[@presscompton7842]

Very interesting community! Well done doc and good questions by the interviewer!

[@OfftheCuff_Series]

Thanks!! Glad you enjoyed it :) What do you think the future of cities is? Are there elements in this community that you could see benefiting society?

[@2Evil2Hope]

@@OfftheCuff_Series This community is a great example of what not to do.

[@tiphaniedirnberger3566]

Thanks Off the Cuff for sharing with us another interesting community!

[@Devibaba]

Beautiful. It's good to see these things. Many thanks for sharing.

[@ChloesColdEars111]

In Israel, they have these Kibbutz, which are self sustained communities, that the people living there all rotate working all the jobs to take care of the place and they run a little hotel of kinda like mini apartments, and have a petting zoo, which is the animals they have to get their food products from, and the hotel pays for whatever else they may need, they have a buffet style cafeteria where the guests and the residents get their meals, it was really nice. It was out by the Dead Sea, in the desert, yet they had plants and flowers all over the property, and they had two huge holding pens that they kept the fish in that they would breed and have for food. This is kinds like that except they have it down, they know what they are doing and they manage to thrive and make something from not much.

[@GreenCanvasInteriorscape]

Back in 1999 my wife-to-be and I rented the sky Suite there, for only 75 bucks a night, the food was wholesome and the scenery lovely but I had no idea what was keeping this thing afloat

[@kayperkayful]

How refreshing! I salute you ALL ❤️

[@sharpduds]

I feel as though issue is that most visionaries focus on sustainable city living, without considering the massive amount of rural and agricultural infrastructure that would be needed to support the city. Perhaps it would be more sustainable to work on perfecting intentionally small, sustainable agricultural villages as part of an interconnected metropolitan area. There is this misconception that the city is for the intelligentsia, and the countryside is for those who aren't the intelligentsia, and I think that that misconception needs to be completely dismantled before a truly sustainable village/town/city/metropolitan area can be achieved

[@MarlowWhere]

Alot of sustainable design does center around what you are talking about IE vertical indoor agriculture being stitched into high rises and abandoned big box stores being converted into indoor farms. Doesn't solve all the problem as alot of this requires a social shift, but adapting current infrastructure to be self sustainable is a food start.

[@josetheman239]

You my friend are correct! for all the criticisms that modern cities get they are perfectly evolved. First they were gold mining outposts or port villages or trade route villages and then they became towns then cities then what we have now. Are they perfect? No but they are the best we've got. Self sustaining communities are not new. People have been trying them for decades and they have been failing all the time.

[@rhalfik]

One word: transport. Citys are efficient because they are high density. I think that some food can be made in the cities, but generally it's good that intellectuals aren't sepearated by miles from each other.

[@sharpduds]

@@rhalfik are you familiar with Boston as it is now?

[@rhalfik]

@@sharpduds No, I've never been in the US.

[@simon7762]

What a great documentary! Thanks guys

[@OfftheCuff_Series]

Glad you enjoyed it! Where should we go next?

[@jennysam3929]

I remember Arcosanti in the 80s, 90s, and 2000s. Sometimes when there were just a few dozen people living there. It is close to Prescott AZ were I have lived for decades. The place has always had the same kind of look and vibe to it.

[@CrankyBubushka]

Fascinating. Thank you!! I like country and small town living myself, but this is so interesting :)

[@lucasharvey8990]

Thanks for the video!

[@OfftheCuff_Series]

Glad you enjoy it, Lucas :)

[@bookbeing]

This is an ingenious project!

[@cinders302]

Cool. Well and good for those who want to live in a tight urban environment. Likely those who have been born and raised as urbanites would find appealing so long as there was plenty to keep them stimulated or over-stimulated. The rest of us would like to come visit, and then bugger off when we've had enough of the high concentration of people 😊

[@jaymonaz]

Wow I live in AZ and didn't even know about this place, thanks for the video!

[@hodgesjaso]

Great episode. Well done and quite interesting.

[@OfftheCuff_Series]

Thanks Jay! What has been your favorite episode so far?

[@hodgesjaso]

@@OfftheCuff_Series I really enjoyed Earthships.

[@Aryahmmr]

Another great video! I visited Arcosanti in June 2020 with my partner. We were verbally and physically chased off their land for just sitting end enjoying the views from the bench at 20:38. I would not go back despite the architecture being quite interesting

[@timothy468]

You smelled like a facist

[@NZWozza]

Really interesting content. Good to see such interesting doco's on youtube.

[@OfftheCuff_Series]

Much appreciated!

[@sissi32sissi47]

Thanks a lot for sharing this amazing video with us. Now I can say paradise exist on earth I would give all to live in that wonderful place. It s look harmonious peaceful and full with positive energy.god bless you. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@harrisdirnberger2362]

10:10 That owl though!

[@bobnoxious5707]

I don't know if this is the future of cities ... but it certainly is my future ... somewhere in central to north Ontario ... off the grid and totally connected ...

[@OfftheCuff_Series]

Awesome! What style of home?

[@bobnoxious5707]

@@OfftheCuff_Series it would be an Earthship based on an esoteric geometric design and built half underground all to harness & harmonize natural & cosmic energy ... PowerPods can be the main source of energy with solar playing a secondary roll and a water driven turbine a potential tertiary derivation ... water from wells & cisterns ... structural materials would come from the land, the local material recycling depot and the local co-op ... an R/O system to purify incoming water and a mutli-stage botanical composting system for waste water & solid waste conversion to natural fertilizer for food plants ... the rest is blissful imagination !

[@jimjimgl3]

"no mater how you live, or where you live, or what part you play the natural untouched environment is right there with you"...including the monstrous sewage pond just a few yards away.

[@abnormalynn7885]

I had family that didn't even have a bathroom until 1994 and that is in rural Arkansas 😊 most country folks have been living self-sustainable until the 1960s we can do it again because we saw it and saw survival God help us all

[@peggygonzalez7473]

Wow this is different I like it very interesting💯

[@ThalesWell]

I remember arcologies from Sim City 2000. They were the ultimate building.

[@OfftheCuff_Series]

Oh wow!

[@MrPAULONEAL]

Those structures are huge....

[@draunt7]

This looks awesome

[@OfftheCuff_Series]

Do you think it will continue to grow?

[@sicko_the_ew]

Cities should pretty much be at least the bones of this project. Long, tall, interconnected. Walkable, car-free. Bigger communities are going to have to have the ability to prevent access to floors, maybe even to "all the even floors", without prior arrangements. ("No, you don't need to go there without an invitation. Residents only.") Try living in a suburb that's been ruined by crime, and you know at least one of the reasons. Freedom to move where there's no need for this is freedom to "case out the joint" - or to plan the abduction of your little daughter, in a darker scenario. I've seen things on "the projects", where this has become the residents there's solution to gang violence problems. They had stricter access control than some gated estate might have. OTOH, there needs to be much _more_ access to places there's a good reason to allow public access to. To get it to work for more than those prepared to experiment with their entire lives like this, though, you need to create it within the framework of an alternative "suburban" development. Somehow or other (and here it dies already, I think) you need planning approval for a development of a piece of ground that would've been a traditional suburb, in a format closer to this community's. (But the more artistic aspects probably need to follow after the more prosaic basic-shelter-and-facilities aspects have been sold to people already being asked to think outside of a box they're familiar with.) To match suburbia: 1. Parking garage on the border between this an the "old world". (And to beat suburbia, parking for 3 vehicles instead of just two.) 2. Garden. (I like the idea of a "right activated by use" - not something you go and ask some gatekeeper for permission to be "admitted to", but a Right. But the right has to be expanded by use. Demand your personal garden, and no-one can refuse you the initial little patch. Then if you look after it/ remain involved, and want more, allow further expansion. (I like the idea of garden space that can expand to say an acre of land, even, for the keenest of gardeners). 3. Work shed. (Do like garden.) To beat suburbia: Given that even with a lot of public space and lots of gardens-won-by-use (won-not-allocated, but not fixed), there will be space left over for more things if you take the whole suburb and "pile it up in the middle" (as they've done here), and you keep that space, still. So I'll start big. Have three golf courses. (Open to walkers and dogs and pony riders, too). Have a skate park. Or five of them if there's a demand. And you could have private pools for a few hours (book one with "the app"). Tennis court (same idea). (Public tennis courts would be their own thing. More competitive, I think.) You could probably fit all sorts of facilities that just "wouldn't fit" in sprawled suburbia - especially since the idea here is that even rail transport is buried; there are no cars; there's traffic separation, so the wild kids on the bicycles don't run over your granny, carelessly. It's not quite as pure an idea, but if you just tried to "have your cake and eat it" in a "new suburbia" you might be able to turn this into a successful development formula. "Buy a lifestyle". Less house facade to display; more space to get out and live in. (It goes without saying that you'd have mixed use. Somewhere incorporated into the long block would be a school or two, for instance.) I like the idea of an "arcaded ground level". No shops, no homes, just "wasted space" that you can walk under when it's raining, or traverse willy nilly to get to the green space on the other side. We're talking LOTS of green space here. My "guestimate" is that if you have 2km out front; 2km out back, it will look as if there's just countryside all around. Suburbia tries to have some city life and some country life, all at once; this could come close to actually achieving that.

[@NickPiers]

It's funny watching this after watching your video on Michael Reynolds' Earthships. Because now I'm trying to imagine how you could combine both of these ideas. These towering urban architectures, but completely sustainable and using things like bottles and tires.

[@zanesutherland406]

Interesting. Not my ideal living situation, but I can see how it would be a cool place to live as long as it didn’t get cult like or controlling.

[@CRASS2047]

This is the future. But it raises the question…..what about seniors? If they cannot pull their own weight, or are retired, where do they go?

[@timebot000]

...ground level living spaces, if easy access is desired.... Seniors without major health care needs are just people who might move a little slower after a whole life of mandatory slavery. They bring thier skills and history to a place like this. Also, a healthcare system onsite would be natural , w plenty of herbologists and every kind of non main stream health care shared. If only the big govt. will allow such a reality...

[@cinders302]

I love the amphitheater

[@veritasvalere88]

Oh wow! I’ve heard this before, it’s called evolution, hopefully let’s keep improving! DD perfect.

[@patriciaherlevi6217]

It seems like there are some solid ideas such as the water use and the renewable energy that can be used elsewhere.

[@vexandhexz]

The VR landscape and extensively the conceptual destination reminds me of John Carter concept art

[@Windwond]

There is an urban plan that people love…the way Berlin is set up is ideal…density, transportation, lifestyle. It’s as close to perfect I’ve ever encountered.

[@dgjanes917]

I heard about this place like 20 something years ago. The name and the ideas have always stayed with me. It's too bad it's not going to be finished... I think it was referenced in the game Deus Ex where it had become the normal type of city or something

[@jessielazaula4318]

Gusto koy puno at halaman lang.... sawang sawa na ako sa mga structures....

[@RS-of1om]

This is cool, I didn't see much solar, but going forward making modern adobe houses that are 3d printed with compacted dirt n hay might possibly work.

[@charliejohanssen7421]

Have you thought about the way people lived there before industrial civ and europeans?

[@BJCMXY]

For those complaining about how they seem to habe an abnormal capacity to remove those they dislike from the community... Obviously are forgetting that such things already happen in many small towns...they're just more formal about the whole deal, and more direct... Here's the question. Would you rather have dozens of people passive aggressively do things to make your life absolutely miserable, or just be told that you're not welcome, and that everyone would appreciate it if you would leave?

[@timebot000]

..and now we have real estate that people just Buy without even having to meet thier neighbors to see if they'd be welcome. Then the gossip and police reports begin . I'd rather have everyone check me out first, me, to them. Musicians need a special area to live so they can play music anytime without bothering others

[@bullymaguire7337]

I get it. Thank you, but I... I'm fine... Uh- I don't need your help.

[@kieranchristian5458]

the hole car thing is what bothered me the most when i visited the US like you need to have car to do a lot of basic things it was for me the thing to never go there again for my holiday i live in holland so i bike and i do it when i can even if i arrive as wet dog xD

[@OfftheCuff_Series]

It is quite the change huh!

[@Schmuni]

9:52 one of us! one of us!

[@adamrosvold8533]

Hey Phillip! It’s Adam from church!!!

[@Mazxlol]

I like the idea, absolutely hate driving to work for hours...

[@OfftheCuff_Series]

Quite appealing, eh?

[@timebot000]

Good thing there's plenty of empty land on earth for places like this to grow. Many similar or different designs can exist a few miles down the road. So long as external 'lawmakers' don't encroach with outdated systems like mandatory property taxes, 'building permit' extortion, and numerous other Regulations.

[@sammysamo]

This place is really special and has a big place in my heart and mind. I would love to live in a city based on these ideas. This is also where I proposed to my husband! Lastly, if you take a tour while you're there, you start with a video which is narrated by Gates McFadden aka Dr. Crusher from Star Trek!

[@brightful5]

Jeremy from Jersey just subscribed

[@OfftheCuff_Series]

Thank you Jeremy from jersey

[@LonWalters]

In October 2010, Daniela Soleri - Paolo Soleri's daughter - resigned from the Cosanti Foundation board, citing abuse by her father. She stated that some of Soleri's inner circle had been told decades earlier, but nothing had been done about it at the time. After the resignation, Soleri stepped down as chairman, but the board made no public statement on the reasons.[16] After the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art had a major retrospective exhibition on Paolo Soleri in October 2017, Daniela published an article on the website Medium on 13 November 2017 accusing her father of persistent sexual abuse,[16] writing: "In my early adolescence, my father, an architect and craftsman, began sexually molesting me, eventually attempting rape when I was 17."[17] Encouraged to publish the article by the #MeToo movement, Daniela wrote that she had already come forward to many of her father's colleagues but received little response:

[@stephenlangsl67]

I would like to go there and build a full size version of the original Dymaxion house that was designed by Buckminster Fuller in the year 1929 that was never built. The scale model of the original Dymaxion house was hexagonal shaped and had a sheltered space under it that could be used as a carport or for storage.

[@ric9759]

I'm curious if anyone is working on future cities that will be located in forested or tropical areas or are we going to have to reside in desert regions.

[@ninacevalez5345]

Very cool .

[@OfftheCuff_Series]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@partyguy9]

It ties in with Walt Disney's original vision of EPCOT. In fact, i think this is probably the closest thing to achieving that

[@focusedfreebird]

But the most important question....is there a Wal-Mart nearby?

[@Jimbo_McBacon]

Yup. And a Taco Bell, Home Depot, and in my case a hospital. I'm old lol.

[@opusydaisy6563]

Yes there is, Cottonwood would be the closest it's to the west. Also Prescott. Arcosanti is north of Camp Verde which started out as a truck stop. There are more gas stations and a few fast food places. Mostly rural living.

[@stefankalisch424]

Building of the Cologne Cathedral was commenced in 1248; it took over 600 years to complete, Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly (Mae West).

[@amalnubia4838]

I stopped watching when she said she was referring the interviewer to the statement the board already released. This is disgusting. Thank you for showing the whole truth. I won't ever know how it all ends, I'm not sorry.

[@Sti626ch]

Right?!? 🤦‍♀️ brainwashed

[@BromoDragoonFly]

Concrete brutalism meshed with nature! Nice! My only concern is that they tried to 'remove' the vehicle, but what about biking or skating? If this grows to 10k+ people at some point 'fast travel' becomes a necessity.

[@OfftheCuff_Series]

Solid point! Another issue they have is people physically getting to the community. At the moment you still have to drive to get here. Many people also opt to leave to go to neighboring towns etc

[@BromoDragoonFly]

@@OfftheCuff_Series I don't really mind travelling by car to other neighboring towns, that could later be upgraded to a railway. The thing is, I'm a skate nerd, and this whole town looks like a giant skatepark! But I'm sure people won't be too happy if I start grinding their rooftops. Either way, I love your videos and at least these people are trying something different.

[@OfftheCuff_Series]

@@BromoDragoonFly Honestly.. that was on my mind when I was visiting there as well. The place would be so sick for a street vid / comp. Kinda fits their idea of usable architecture ya? 🤷‍♂️ hah I'm glad you're enjoying the channel! Please let us know if you have any other questions about these places we visit. It is impossible to get it all in each episode 🤘

[@scottsutherland6273]

How awesome is this..Can I come?

[@OfftheCuff_Series]

Sure! Find more info here: www.arcosanti.org/

[@aurorajones8481]

I love this concept. Ive visited the site as I live in Phoenix. Truthfully its a bunch of hippies living out there. The concept and idea is sound but will it ever get done? I dunno. Personally I like having my car. But that's me.

[@pinterblanka7150]

That is the problem of today's society, once some people form a community, it is right away viewed at as a cult..just cuz there aren't any communities anymore and families struggle on their own, it doesn't mean, a community equals a cult...

[@totheleftrightla]

Na na nanana kinda but what an interesting oasis when out riding on a horse with no name. Just a tidbit for sustainability I would forget the cattle aspect there are much better choices. I know many ideas get creatively tossed around and that is energy in motion from the richness of people.

[@Realmariah510]

I like the concept but can see how it is flawed. Required the people to do labor is tricky because at what line can you draw when it comes to controlling and freedom just to live. It can lead to a kind of dystopian nature. It needs to have more components of a functioning society such as cattle, different workers, recreation, and more.

[@damienhudson8230]

This is the every lasting question about communism. Who is in charge and why?

[@MarlowWhere]

This question should also be asked in capitalism...considering a family used to be able to live off of one 40 hour salary and now requires 2...how much should we be expected to work just live?

[@damienhudson8230]

@@MarlowWhere your answer is to look at China since we are heading in the same direction they are in. They now have something famously named the 996 rule. 9am to 9pm 6 days a week. And these poor pioneers of our future think they'll be out of work if they don't do it.

[@MarlowWhere]

@@damienhudson8230 and there are countries like Japan looking at implementing a 4 day 10 hour/day week which is shown to be more productive and produces happier workers. But to your point, we already see that Americans do not feel like they are being exploited and that labor is entirely voluntary not matter the coercive nature of their employment. So I generally agree that whether the work week is 40 or 70 people will be tricked into thinking they must and those who don't are losers....and here I am self employed only working about 30 hours a week making more than I did as a salaried employee.

[@snoozeyoulose9416]

@@MarlowWhere I read somewhere how there used to be industrial capitalism in the US which then morphed into financial capitalism which has been far more destructive. Rather than indusrial capitalism evolving over time to increase qualty of life the present system in place has brought about greater dehumanzation.

[@michaelparker5030]

"the Freedom to have creative um you know whatever" lol well said, almost a full sentence.

[@altarush]

Can you show us some new ways to grow food, and kelp?

[@davidarundel6187]

It's an interesting idea & concept, so long as it doesn't eat productive land. Their 3 waters concept needs a rethink, in that the fresh water into the Ampitheater = great ; grey water should include urine as much as possible & like the Black water, go thru a biodigester, to recover gas, water of pottoble Qaulity. Residue waert from the grey water could then be used on the gardens after sundown, to allow for better absorbtion & less evaporation. The balance of the black water, could have the community's kitchen & garden waste added, to make a very rich, organic mulch for use around Arcosanti's public spaces, Gardens etc.

[@buck99]

WHAT FLAVOR IS THE COOL-AID???🤣

[@westr70]

I applaud the attempt. I am dismayed at the tools laying around, the clutter, and while I understand the unfinished pieces, I don't understand the lack of pride and ownership in their own living area. Where do they get their water from? While there might be beautiful people there, there is no beauty for the eye to behold.

[@Hanstra]

I gotta agree with you. It's kinda neat, but a few buckets of paint would do wonders here. Looks kinda depressing as-is.

[@williamwebb7917]

Exactly. Looks like a trashy commune.

[@williamandrews1683]

Look up Solari house in Prescott AZ.

[@footprints2324]

🌞🌞

[@abbyw8113]

They better have a very good alternate water system with the Colorado river drying up

[@brianobrien202]

It looks like the projects of the future

[@llllllll1014]

It's interesting, around Vancouver all the dying shopping malls are under these massive renovations to have not only residential highrises but amphitheatres and social spaces along transit. It kind of loses its charm when there's just a line of KFC and Gap stores but the theory is definitely being applied. (Of course, 90% of the people that live there still own cars even though they live literally next to a transit station)

[@timothy468]

Good, not everyone should live like a dirty hippy.

[@llllllll1014]

@@timothy468 They should live like dirty normals yes

[@joshdavis8657]

Paolo Soleri. Check out his books. AMAZING designs

[@RafaelDiFuria]

What’s the name of the piece played on the Piano in the last 1/3 of the video?

[@simax4579]

better late than never ;) : Comptine d`un autre été - l`après-midi by Yann Tiersen

[@jeramiahcox6976]

A city commune like this is a great idea, and will work in small societies. The only way I can see it working is to get 50-100 families together, and raise several generations of individuals who have never seen capitalism. No money, no barter. There is a short story called "And then there were none" by Eric Frank Russell which shows us what a society built this way would evolve. However, the consequences of NOT adhearing to the scriptures of society are very harsh. Read the story, and see what you decide.

[@manaherb6]

MYOB!

[@bullymaguire7337]

No, not exactly.

[@timothy468]

😆 they can't run it without money.. the lights would go out. So the slave foundry pays the bills.

[@mr.schnitzel3053]

Does anybody know what software he's using to create the VR city?

[@JoeySmallwood3]

Imagine how terrified homeowners must’ve been across the way watching those people fire spinning above that dead grass

[@DawidKellerman]

Not Culty! watching from halfway around the world it a beautiful city! town BioGas for the Black water..several built ones here in Africa. "People are just people"

[@wdpk837]

anyone know the name of the chair at 6:27-6:34?

[@charliejohanssen7421]

This makes me think of Asa'pili for some reason

[@mikebar42]

I'd live there