Communing With the Campbells – Arcosanti The World’s First Prototype Arcology
Arcosanti Herald from Anthony Campbell on Vimeo.
This adventure is first and foremost a research project. A research project into alternative ways to live. What lessons can we take from pioneering communities around the world that are doing things differently? Arcosanti was always a destination within the USA that was high up on the priority list because it’s so different.
Arcosanti is the world’s first Prototype Arcology. It’s mission is to inspire a reimagined urbanism that builds resilient and equitable communities sustainably integrated with the natural world. It’s a giant social experiment and it’s utterly fascinating. It’s ambition, it’s commercial heartbeat, it’s community I find inspiring. It’s a living breathing working example of another way. It’s not perfect, it’s not utopia, but it reaffirms my belief that there is another way and that when we come together, united by a common purpose and vision anything is possible.
That said it’s a project that’s been around since the 1970’s and it has never quite fulfilled it’s founders vision of a community of 5000 plus. The community currently consists of just over 80 full time members. It’s extraordinary architecture alongside it’s philosophy pulls in the crowds though. Over 55,000 people visit Arcosanti each year. Many of them, I’m sure, like us wanting to be inspired by an alternative model.
Next up we head up to Flagstaff where we are being filmed by a National TV channel for a couple of days. We are visiting the Grand Canyon as part of the filming. We’re also going to be experiencing an extended period of time in RV parks. I think there’s plenty to learn from RV communities on this leg of our adventure and we’ll be weaving in our finding into our eventual documentary on community and communal living.
The Campbells
