CALIFIA DESIGN SPEC PROPOSAL (draft)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(1) LAND PLAN
A. Architecture
B. Ecology
C. Green Technology
D. Transportation
E. Food/Farming
(2) CIVIC
A. Governance
B. Economy
(3) CULTURE-SOCIETY
A. Health
B. Arts
C. Education
D. Media/Communications
(4) DEVELOPMENT
A. Financing
B. Social Networking
(1) LAND PLAN
GENERAL
- 1000 acres+
- Flourishing bioregion as ideal – site to be restored, enhanced as required
- Califia as epicenter of green community & urban design laboratory.
- Site options: agricultural land, infill in existing cities (eg Oakland Navy yard), outside San Jose/outside Sunol in Alameda County, Concord Naval Station, Treasure Island,
- Nature as the model: harmony, self-sustaining, “GreenTech,” community guidelines
- Low-income housing as part of mix
- Residential to be a combination of single-family, co-housing, and village configurations
A. ARCHITECTURE
- Significant use of "Pattern Language" elements to humanize the scale of structures, etc.
- Buildings arranged to maximize pedestrian travel
- beautiful quiet places, private-public continuum, comfort zones
- Emphasize passive solar architecture of clusters of buildings linked by bridges, complete with terrace and rooftop gardens, cafes... public access.
- Fine grain detail & art: make Califia the aesthetically satisfying environment that the best villages and hill towns enjoy, and avoid the oppressive feeling of megastructures.
- No gated community - open community, multi-cultural, harmony
- Improvements on existing eco-designs, fix flaws, on a continual basis.
- Not linear but radiating overall design
- Survival “lean: mode: do more with less; maximize flow of resources and sharing connections
- Nature + tech = connecting our community and other resonant communities around the planet
- anticipate climate change
- 3-D Arcology approach: design 3D spaces with functional & aesthetic needs addressed
- Natural environment within & without the structures
- Density: (30 families) to 10K
- Make practical elements aesthetically pleasing – thoughtfully designed using all green materials
- Diversity of artistic architectural periods - one identity or many styles?
- Maximize "daylight" potential between structures and throughout complex
- Access to natural light and ventilation in every building
- Natural darkness (minimize light pollution, see the stars)
- Residential: mixture of private family spaces and shared community living spaces
B. ECOLOGY
- Overall permaculture design strategy
- Practical and important in Califia - PARKS to walk in nature areas with no perception of buildings or "city" - bike, skate, run, sit, lie.
- restore all urban creeks or build new to celebrate them.
- Dedicating 3 to 5 times as much land to nature as covered by new construction
- Accessible green space
- Eco-city mapping
C. GREEN TECHNOLOGY
- The generation of green power in Califia could be a net profit business.
- Califia should be carbon neutral.
- Waste, drinking, and irrigation water should be managed to close loops using grey-water and black-water systems, in addition to conservation.
- Energy conservation should be the first priority, then renewable energy generation
- Clean energy technologies, such as solar, water, wind, geothermal are possible.
- Califia should be a showcase for renewable energy technologies.
D. TRANSPORTATION
Inner-eco-city travel: Getting around within the eco-city.
- Design the city to foster walking as a main form of getting around.
- Allow for safe and easy bike access in the city and to the surrounding areas.
- A light rail or highly efficient bus system will provide transportation for longer trips within the eco-city.
Extra-eco-city travel: Connecting the eco-city with the surrounding areas, and allowing for easy, primarily car-optional/car-free travel.
- Promote bike access to and from Califia.
- A light rail system, which would also serve for transit in Califia, would connect to the surrounding area and existing transportation.
- Ideally Califia would be proximal to BART, allowing for easy access to the Bay Area metropolitan areas and improving car-free access to Califia.
- Hyper-car share (eg City Car Share) could provide for all necessary vehicle use.
E. FOOD/FARMING
- Maximize local food production
- Advanced recycling, biomass conversion, etc. - "waste" converter, nitrogen fixing to clean "waste" water, esp. from aquaculture system; nutrient cycling: all biological systems (food, "waste") must inter-react to effectively be a "closed system".
- Animals - part of the system - companionship, food producers (the eggs of the chickens), manure producers, systemic for recycling
- Prawn - macrobraclium: fresh water prawn production, another shrimp on the barbie? High value item for sale needs: hatchery, grow out ponds.
(2) CIVIC
A. GOVERNANCE
- Califia paradigm of social governance based on participatory democracy where all persons are valued and supported, and encouraged to contribute to the best of their abilities.
- A model that serves all forms of life and the natural environment.
- All persons have rights and opportunities to benefit from the resources afforded us by our natural environment.
- Challenge ourselves to live our life in drastically different ways.
- Learn to accept and appreciate difference and negotiate with one another from a position of mutual respect.
- Group decisions made using innovative technology.(doesn't quite sound right)
- Create an environment where we will continue to refine our knowledge, deepen and broaden our vision and enter a new phase of human evolution.
B. ECONOMICS
- Pioneer an innovative internal economy to act as the center and engine driving growth and change in the local green economy.
- Eco-city as commerce hub of local green currency/eco-city credit card.
- Social network utilized as foundation of community-based economics, networked sharing of resources, and collective commerce.
- All major sectors (retail, industrial, hotel, entertainment, agriculture, etc) present in sustainable form within the city and providing for its internal economy.
- Closed-loop reuse and recycling systems reduce resource expenses.
- Cooperatives at a set percentage of the internal economy.
- Economic partnerships and trade relations between Califia-like developments around the world.
(3) CULTURE-SOCIETY
GENERAL:
- act as model for green and holistic community development
- live in integrity, honor, with nature and the mother
- community of consciousness, non-elitism and co-creativity
- community of light, human wisdom and integrity
- collective destiny - transcend old fear-based paradigm fear to heart-based one
- diversity – include all traditions
- create a indigenous culture is our living model for sustainable community
- heart of the community: central gathering spaces, non-denominational spiritual/vision center, sacred silent meditation spaces,
- sustainable community exposition area
- partnerships with social groups, such as Habitat for Humanity
- collective/conference facilities, central solar bakery
- hotels,
A. HEALTH:
- local, community-owned health center, integrative-preventive hospital/pharmacy, wellness spa resort
- group healing practices
B. ARTS:
- "magic of the city" - crowds, music, spectacle, monument, museums, sculpture, etc…
- community entertainment zone - village story-telling/performing arts theater, amusement theme park, video game/virtual reality park, celebration activities, inspiring cultural events
C. MEDIA/COMMUNICATIONS:
- innovative media center - showcase of marriage of nature and modern technology
- highly connected multi-media nodes - electronic communication, cell phones, internet, e-mail, blogs
- advanced online social network built into community
- use technology to explore human potential, for kids' education and artistic creation
D. EDUCATION:
- innovative public schools, lifelong community learning, human potential development programs, skilled trades education, educational center for sustainability
(4) DEVELOPMENT
A. FINANCING:
- (Establish social/green real estate investment fund to back the development of the project.)
- Build public/private and profit/non-profit partnerships.
- Leverage potential long-term economic benefits to enlist public and governmental agencies at the local, state, national, and international levels.
- Partner with non-profit affordable housing organizations to promote affordability.
- Leverage Califia as ‘green tech-design showcase’ to enlist sponsorship from green business in the private sector.
- (Host ‘Clean Tech Open’ style design competitions for solutions to all major facets of Califia design.)
- (Leverage potential of a “Green World Expo” style event to build infrastructure and promote development.)
- Promote innovative local and community-based financing and social capital programs.
- (Initiate presale of housing units to social network established community members.)
- Advance social justice rooted in shared equity.
B. SOCIAL NETWORKING:
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