For the purposes of this discussion let us improbably imagine that the UK will be the first country to build an OA-City.  Improbable due mainly to the twin obstacles of Nimby power and building regulations which, for normally sound reasons, virtually prohibit the construction of big buildings in the countryside.   But the obstacles for a “world first” prototype are magnified when nobody has had the opportunity to actually see and “road-test” an OA-City. 

90% of people would probably claim they “wouldn’t want to live in one” – and they would also agitate against any proposal to build one..!    But that still leaves 10% – and 10% of a big number is still a big number..!

CARBUNCLES in the CITY..?

Many years ago Prince Charles famously railed against “carbuncles” on the City of London skyline.  Despite his objections there are now many, some of which do indeed resemble “carbuncles”, notably the “Scrotum” and the “Gherkin”. 

I mentioned “countryside” because where else would one find a 20-hectare building site..?  (the building itself would cover 10 hectares (25 acres).  But the UK does have many such sites and they are called “Brownfield” sites.

BROWNFIELD sites have some significant advantages for OA-Cities…

• • Little or no Nimby opposition, since Nimbys don’t live near such sites.
  • Local planning authorities are keen to re-purpose such sites, so they will be more open to radical ideas.
  • The cost of the land is likely to be minimal, if not zero cost.
  • Contamination fears will be minimised if not negated as all residents will live well above ground level.
  • The deep excavation required for such a large building will probably achieve the required de-contamination anyway.

So there is still a faint glimmer of hope that – as with the railways 200 years ago – Britain will lead the world into a new 3rd millennium age of 3-dimensional Oasis-Cities  

BUILD IT, AND THEY WILL PAY TO COME AND SEE IT..!