Arcosanti Archetype:The Rebirth of Cities by Renaissance Thinker Paolo Soleri

A thought provoking book about Arcosanti, that features an ongoing community project reflecting the philosophy of architect Paolo Soleri, Ph.d. The town is being built near Phoenix, Arizona, by workshop participants and residents on just 15 acres of a 4,000 acre preserve that will be left in its natural state. Arcosanti is designed to lessen the impact on the environment by reducing the size of cities to eliminate urban sprawl. Soleri's urban laboratory allows the opportunity to study social and ecological issues and interpret the process as it is being built.

Arcosanti is a continuing living experiment of what our future could be - if we paid attention to the design of place and the human spirit. paolo Soleri has shown us a way to live in which art, nature and humanity become whole. -- Sim van der Ryn, Ecological Design

Of all the ways of sheltering people, this suburban way is the most consuming, the most demanding, the most wasteful, the most polluting and the most segregational. Arcosanti Archetype is an accessible introduction to Paolo Soleri's alternatives. -- Jerry Brown, Oakland Mayor & former California Governor

Wilson first introduces the reader to the man himself and his philosophy in regard to the Arcosanti project. She then proceeds to the project site itself and a tour of the facility begins. We learn about the history of the project as well as future plans for this bold experiment. This book gives the reader an excellent overview of the project and I recommend it highly as introductory material on this subject. -- David Ellefsen, Librarian - MLS, Fountain Hills, AZ.