Characteristics of an ideal community

¶ … Utopia

Thomas More may have been one of the first people to envision a Utopian society in the 16th century. He wrote of a city that eliminated both poverty and exploitation based on employment for all (Porter, 2003), a radical concept at the time. More recently, the city of St. Louis, Missouri experimented with creating a Utopian-like residential community called "LaClede Town," named after one of the city founders. A large community of town houses, it was near the center of the city and encouraged an artistic, artsy atmosphere. A variety of talented people lived there, including Eddie Saxon (as a child), who went on to produce major movies such as "Philadelphia." Built in the sixties, residents were a mix of multiple races and income levels. The complex's racial mix was reflected in changes that took place in a local all-black church, that became integrated as white LaClede Town residents began attending (McGuire, 1995). However, LaClede Town was an island surrounded by declining areas. It addressed residential issues only, and ultimately failed and was razed (McGuire, 1995).

I believe that a Utopian society includes all types of people: young and old, people of all races, of both sexes, of all sexual orientations and social classes. A mix of people enriches the experiences of all. I would like to see these segments of society distributed in proportions that reflect the United States generally, so that this Utopia would be a microcosm of United States population.

The population should be distributed throughout the community as they choose. However, community features that tend to draw people together, such as parks, open-air markets and recreational facilities should be placed in ways that draw people together.

This town, if successful, might become quite popular, so they need to decide how to control population growth. This might be best accomplished by population density rules, such as not allowing home for individual homes to be converted to higher density condominiums or apartments. Since such a forward-thinking community should allow as much freedom of choice as possible, people should be allowed to have whatever pets they want unless the animal can clearly be shown to be a real potential danger to the community. An example of this might be keeping a tiger. Tigers do not make good house pets and would be a menace if one should get loose.

Residents of this town should be encouraged to work within the community, but since this is not always possible, mass transit to the nearby metropolitan area, such as light rail, should be part of the plan. This town should actively encourage barter as well as work for pay and sale of products. The community centers might include babysitting exchanges between young mother as well as opportunities to swap one service for another: example a person types someone's dissertation, and in exchange, that person paints their house.

The town should have some sort of bus service, using small buses to make them practical and energy efficient. Perhaps it could be tied to larger nearby communities to help this one integrate with other population centers in the area. They should solicit major hospitals in the area to run clinics in the area. The town would also need public schools, police and fire protection. Public utilities should be designed to be energy-efficient, and they should be oriented to help residents reduce energy consumption. Waste collection should emphasize recycling as much as possible. The city should make it as easy as possible for people to recycle. All these services have to be paid for by taxes, but in addition, if the town creates attractive recreational facilities, they might charge admission for people living outside the town and make some of these features self-sustaining.

I would like to see a broad mix of architectural styles in the community that would reflect the buildings' purposes. The town should have a variety of residential types, including apartments, attached condos, villa houses and freestanding houses. Market research should determine what kinds of residences are built so each individual and family can find the type of housing they prefer.

Office buildings should not have their architecture restricted except that construction of very tall buildings, say, over 10 stories, would be restricted to the town's center. On the edge of the town, buildings should be restricted to three stories so people can actually see the rustic, unspoiled perimeter around the town. Small shopping areas should be scattered throughout the town as that will support the ecology by not requiring extensive driving to acquire life's needs. There could also be one large shopping center. They do fulfill a need or there would not be so many of them.

A picture a large town in a suburban area with nearby rural areas, not too far from a metropolitan area. I envision a rural perimeter around the town, owned by the town and restricted from all building except minor buildings that might be needed to maintain the area. In addition, 5% of the land within the town should be reserved for park areas.

The geographic area doesn't much matter, but they should have a good supply of natural water so this community is not a drain on the wider area's resources. Ideally the town would be built in a hilly area so the topography could be capitalized on for design and architectural purposes. Climate should not be too extreme, but most areas of the United States have pros and cons to their climates.

It is crucial that this town be ecologically neutral or positive. A Utopian town should not look well planned on the surface but be a drain on the ecology. Beyond the unspoiled areas surrounding the town, perhaps this town could use windmills to generate energy. By limiting the height of buildings, it makes the use of solar energy for homes more feasible. The town should seek information on government grants and other ways to reduce the cost for those who use solar power for part or all of their energies. They might also consider tax benefits for those who use fuel-efficient cars (rather than a punishing tax for vehicles that use more gas, such as SUV's).