In the middle of Arizona’s desert lies something unexpected: a rather strange, unfinished “city of the future.” Jutting out of the vast, barren Sonoran Desert and reachable only by car, Arcosanti’s domes and curved structures look like something imagined up by a science fiction writer. A nonprofit group called the Cosanti Foundation has been working for decades to create a city that would inspire the future of urban design by incorporating a range of environmentally-friendly features to reduce sprawl and minimize the need for cars while harnessing solar power and natural vegetation to energy reduce costs. The Italian architect who originally envisioned the city, Paolo Soleri, called his ideas “urban implosion” because he wanted to reduce the suburban sprawl that is a feature of many American cities. He also invented the concept of Arcology, a way of thinking about urban design that’s in harmony with the natural world and more sustainable.
Even though other architects and countries have surpassed Soleri’s goals – especially in Asia and the Middle East – his notions about local food sourcing, solar energy, eco-friendly living and walkable neighborhoods are now part of mainstream urban design. Each year, 50,000 people visit Arcosanti, according to Architectural Digest, but only about 80 residents call the city home. Some of those visitors are urban design students taking class trips, while others are people attending concerts and events held in Arcosanti’s large amphitheater.