The world’s Civilisations mapped

OASIS CITIES CONTAIN ALL THE INGREDIENTS FOR A NEW CIVILISATION.

SIMPLY ADD YOUR PREFERRED PEOPLE AND MIX WELL..!

OAeCities will usher-in a new era of customized and themed city states offering a superior quality of life without the wastefulness, low societal trust and high stress of living in OBeCities 

OASIS-CITIES ARE THE NO-BRAINER OF NO-BRAINERS

The benefits are so many and so apparent – it’s a mystery to me why it hasn’t yet happened and so, what will it take to wake people up to their potential..?

Hardly a week goes by without me thinking of yet another advantage, here’s a short list – a longer list can be seen HERE

• Affordability
• Bio-philia – views of and easy access to nature 
• Comfort 
• Contentment
• Convenience
• Conviviality
• Economic Security
• Esthetic appeal – iconic pyramidal habitats surrounded by lakes and woodland
• Familial Integrity (extended families could live quite close-by)
• “Future-Proofed” – built to last 500 years or more
• Health & Well-Being – live healthier and longer
• High-trust societies
• Peace & Tranquillity
• Re-cycling and Re-using made so much easier
• Safety & Security (a big one..!)
• Self-Worth enhanced
• Simplified service delivery and utility infrastructure
• Sustainability
• Tourist Attraction – “Build it, and they will PAY to come and see it”
• Waste collection simplified  
• Weather Protection

AFFORDABILITY

LOWER ENERGY COST 

LOWER RENTS

NO TRANSPORT COSTS

COMFORT  

WEATHER PROTECTION

British people are famous for always talking – and usually complaining – about the weather.

Something that is apparently never factored into the design of “eco-cities” and “smart cities” is 24/7 protection against inclement weather.  Dongtan is a high-tech “Smart City” being built in Korea but its citizens will be forced to brave the winter weather which, in Korea, can be minus 20 or worse.   (And summers are hot and humid)   Now, I ask you, just how smart is that?  Unless their work requires it, OA-Citizens will never need to go outside during inclement weather (Heat, Cold, Wind or Rain).

SUPER-INSULATED APARTMENTS 

Exterior walls, windows and roofs are the source of most building heat or cooling leakage.   Pyramidal OA-Cities will have NO ROOF to contend with and all exterior-facing apartments will have just ONE outer wall.  In winter the enclose-able patio area will act as an insulation space between the exterior and the living area, so no need for expensive triple-glazing.  The interior-facing apartments overlooking the Atrium will of course have no outer wall at all.  

CONTENTMENT

 THE TRANQUILITY, THE VIEWS, THE BEAUTY OF THE ATRIUMS & THE DOMAIN SANCTUARY

CONVENIENCE 

NO TIME-WASTING COMMUTING TO WORK, SHOPS, SCHOOLS, etc

SUPERMARKET SHOPPING –

Food shopping becomes a pleasure, not a chore, when you can wheel your trolley right to your door..!

CONVIVIALITY

LIKE A CLUB OR A CRUISE-SHIP OR A RESORT HOTEL – When people belong to a community in which they feel safe and secure they are much more likely to be open and friendly with people they haven’t met and will find it easy and comfortable to strike up spontaneous conversations with strangers.   

VIRTUAL ISLAND – living in a self-contained and self-sufficient OA-City will be much like living on an island

COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE PLEDGE (CAP) – A benign form of National Service which will foster community cohesion by bringing together people from varied backgrounds and having them work and share meals together.  

 ECONOMIC  SECURITY

ECONOMIC ADVANTAGE 

Lower living expenses will mean people will be happy to work for lower wages, but this in turn will attract business and investment.  Lower living costs, excess labour supply, reduction of waste (time and materials) will drive prices down and increase efficiency,

PYRAMID BUILDING BOOM 

A burgeoning crime wave (happening now in London and other big cities) will prompt a migratory “brain-drain” to OA-Cities.   As OBeCities degenerate further into crime and anarchy, so the demand for more OA-Cities will grow exponentially.    

COMMUNICATIONS & INFRASTRUCTURE – Reduced and Simplified.

MAINTENANCE COSTS – much reduced.

POWER-CONSUMPTION – much reduced

SHOPPING FROM HOME – (and/or easy & efficient home delivery)

TIME SAVING – Convenience & Accessibility.

TOURIST ATTRACTION – Many will be want to visit, at least while OACities are a novelty, and they will be willing to pay for the privilege.  

FAMILIAL INTEGRITY

EXTENDED FAMILIES WILL BE ABLE TO LIVE NEARBY – but without being “on top of each other” in the same dwelling 

 HEALTH & WELL-BEING

LIVE LONGER & HEALTHIER – it will be like living on a small island 

LESS STRESS – no commuting, no school run, no frantic weekly shop, no rushing around, peace and tranquility will reign.

CLEAN AIR – no traffic no air pollution, tyre dust, etc

NATURE ON DOORSTEP – OBeCITY dwellers suffer nature deprivation (ref “Biophilia”)

SUNSHINE not SHADOW – apartments and patios not overshadowed by nearby tall buildings

LEISURE – much better facilities, more opportunities & more spare time in which to do it

NO FINANCIAL BURDENS  – No fancy cars or big houses to show-off will stymie the desire to harbour self-indulgent and frivolous celebrity-style “luxury-fever” aspirations.    

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE – the perimeter circuit track will be ideal for CYCLING, JOGGING, WALKING, ROLLER-BLADING, TENNIS, BASKETBALL, VOLLEY-BALL courts, etc.  The Canal or “Moat” will be ideal for CANOEING or KAYAKING practice, 

In a July 2012 article former top 10 player John Alexander lamented that suburban tennis-courts in Australia have declined by up to 90%, esp in wealthy areas like Sydney North Shore where their sites have been sold for housing.

PEACE & TRANQUILITY

NO CONSTRUCTION DISRUPTION –

Once an OAeCity is completed, there should be no further major building work for the foreseeable future.   Any adjacent module under construction will be at a reasonably safe distance of (probably) at least 300 metres.

NO TRAFFIC NOISE

No more honking, revving, roaring, rasping, boom-box blaring, tyre-squeeling, back-firing, door-slamming, alarm jangling, emergency-vehicle shrieking, truck thundering, deafening disturbances

NO NOISY or DISRUPTIVE NEIGHBOURS

PERMANENCE 

Aside from expensive individual creations, such as seen on TV’s “Grand Designs”, modern homes are built for a very price-conscious market.  Speculative builders (“developers”) need to sell their bland brick boxes quickly to generate the cash-flow with which to continue their countryside chomping.  In 50,75, or 100 years (at most) todays suburban estates will be slums.  OAeCities will be designed to last hundreds of years. 

 SAFETY & SECURITY (this is a big one..!) 

Our financial and economic system with its dependence on endless “growth” fed by ever-increasing consumption and energy use, housing booms, commodity and stock market booms, financial speculation of all types, cradle to grave welfare benefits, and enormous waste, – is no more than a giant Ponzi scheme – a house of cards that sooner or later will collapse.   When the collapse comes one thing that is almost certain is that violent crime, in cities especially, is going to get worse – possibly much worse than anyone can imagine.   Cities like Detroit and Johannesburg could become the norm.   When this happens, where do you think you would be safer – in a single dwelling home on the edge of a sprawling OB-City, or in a OA-City?

Although not a conscious design objective, OAeCities will be the ultimate “walled and gated security estate”.

BURGLARY, ROBBERY, and PHYSICAL ASSAULT will be almost completely unknown due to….

• qualified residency,
• security access controls
• visitor admission charge will also tend to keep out the riff-raff
• video surveillance,
• CASHLESS SOCIETY (use of stored-value “Electronic wallets”)

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE will also be very rare due to

• much more contented lives 
• lower financial and environmental stress.

ACCIDENTS – very much reduced (eg, traffic accidents, falling down steps, from ladders, roofs, balcony’s, etc)

PET-SAFE – your furry friends will live long happy lives and not suffer their all too common fate – death by speeding motor vehicle

• Dogs especially will love the extra opportunities for “walkies” and meeting new friends through pooch-sharing clubs.

TERRORIST attacks – although nowhere can ever be 100% safe from suicidal fanatics, OAeCities will be very difficult targets for terrorists….

• suicide bombers will have to evade 2 airport-type security checks (outer & inner defence)
• no car or truck bombs possible 
• ditto – vehicle ramming attacks on pedestrians 
• goods will be off-loaded and checked at a perimeter goods depot, then transported inside via subway (rail, electric tow-trolleys or conveyer belt
• ultimately, if things become really serious, close range “phalanx” guns could be installed to deal with suicide aircraft

FIRE RESISTANT – much safer than vertical-walled high-rise apartment bldgs 

• Fire doors, smoke detectors, and sprinklers – pre-installed throughout.
• On-site water reservoir (the canal/moat and underground cisterns)
• Sloped profile means easy access to all locations – long turntable ladders redundant
• Lateral escape routes
• Reclined walls (the opposite of “jettied buildings”) – fire unlikely to spread to higher floors

FLOOD & STORM – protected due to…..

• Sloped profile deflects high winds much better than sheer walls –
• plinth/podium wall can be constructed as a levee to protect main building from flood
• no roofing materials, tiling, etc, that can be blown off
• enclosed spaces well protected

EARTHQUAKE RESISTANT – Pyramid shape is inherently the strongest possible structure.

SELF WORTH & SELF-RESPECT

WEALTH GAP NARROWED - low GINI co-efficient

It is an unfortunate fact of human nature that people feel a sense of superiority when they are richer than others about them.   Even relatively wealthy people can feel inferior when around others with a lot more money who decadently “splash their cash”.   Even if not “equal societies” OAeCities will be more egalitarian due to greater wage parity and more limited opportunities for wealth display as people will live in outwardly similar properties – no big houses and “exclusive neighbourhoods”.   And no fancy cars cruising around the neighbourhood showing-off and being parked prominently on a no-parking zone right outside a restaurant so that everyone notices the smugly, self-satisfied owner as he gets in and roars off.   But, that said, OAeCities will be exclusive places in which it will be a privilege to live.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Residents will commit to a day or two every month to a community activity of their choice, or wherever their capabilities or talents lie – whether it be child-care, aged-care, clinic, dog kennels, gardening, library, sorting recyclables, and many more tasks  

SUSTAINABILITY

SELF-SUFFICIENT IN THE 3 LIFE ESSENTIALS – WATER, ENERGY, AND FOOD

 VISUAL APPEAL  

Compared to the ugliness of sprawling OBeCities, OAeCities will be evocative of the fabled Hanging Gardens of Babylon – shining palaces nestled within Arcadian settings…

• ATRIUMS – a “Sanctuary” naturally lit by the open sky-light (“oculus”) – sub-tropical foliage, cascades, grottoes, ponds, musical fountains, birdsong, etc

• PARKS & GARDENS – OA-City habitats will be encircled by a “Domain” nature zone, far superior to any city park, with facilities such as….
  • wave pool with sandy beach (either open or enclosed, depending on the climate)
  • boating lake,
  • hedge maze
  • gardens with exotic trees, ponds, stepping stones, board-walks, bridges, gazebos, etc
  • winding woodland paths & streams, solar-heated plunge pools, waterfalls, rope bridges, etc
  • architectural follies, eg., a pagoda, romantic castle ruins, etc.
  • cozy rustic country inns, etc.

• PANORAMIC VIEWS without the usual highly inflated cost premium –
  • Exterior-facing apartments with sweeping panoramic views which would normally cost a small fortune.
  • Interior-facing apartments will have fabulous atrium views
  • the nearest adjacent habitat will be at least 300m away, so will block your view or cast a giant shadow