PYRAMID CITIES SOLVE ENERGY, OVERPOPULATION AND THE HUNGER PROBLEMS

In a pyramid city (I refer you to model picture 1) about 100.000 people (30.000 residencies measuring 100m²) on 1km² around central squares of 80 by 80 metres, on about 10 layers. This is a small scale construction in a large city, including all companies and city functions, for which post war cities would need 30km². When building one layer around each central square, 10.000 people can reside there (pyramid village – picture 3a). With around 5 layers (Amsterdam Canals – picture 4c) around each square 50.000 people can reside. Everything in between is possible as well.

SHORT SUMMARY OF THE PROS COMPARED TO POST WAR CITIES:

• No car traffic locally, no commuting traffic inter-locally (no more traffic jams)
• Schools, work, restaurants, bars, shops, theatres, etc. accessible at about 500 meters walking distance
• Involve empty office space immediately and at a low cost. No separate business parks
• No energy from fossil fuels, no oil-dependency, no CO2 emission
• No m² loss of agriculture space by application of 1km² intensive agriculture
• Able to build in barren, harsh environments or at sea (important to solve the overpopulation)
• No energy problem (important to solve the overpopulation). No nuclear power plants
• All the food for the people will be produced within the city (using Plantlab)
• Overpopulation can be prevented
• No further loss of the remaining nature
• At least 4km² park style green areas on about 500 meters walking distance, even in mega-cities
• Existing slums and deprived areas are easily renovated
• Hardy against earthquakes, tornadoes, flooding and the climate change
• Small scale construction in 1 (village) to 10 (city) layers. Inhabitants decide about their own residence
• Spacious living, the neighbours across the street live at about 80 meters from you
• Traditional post modern architecture (like Dutch, Chinese and Islamic cities)
• Traffic safety. Squares meeting place for adults and playground for children
• Safe cities. Social control and police supervision easily organized
• About half the building cost compared to traditional construction types
• Realizable in short time (about 5 years) due to fast and easy construction methods

CONTENTS

1. OFF TO A NEW SHAPE OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT
2. PREVENTING ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTERS BY INTEGRATING LIVING AND WORKING
3. FAR LESS LAND NEEDED TO PLOT THE CITY
4. THE SQUARES FUNCTION AS THE COZY LIVING ROOMS OF THE CITY
5. THE COMPANIES, OFFICES, CITY AGRICULTURE ETC. ARE ALL LOCATED IN THE HEART OF THE CITY
6. LOCALLY NO TRAFFIC JAMS AND INTERLOCALLY THEY ARE DRASTICALLY DECREASED
7. SUSTAINABILITY
8. UNSUSCEPTABLE TO FLOODING, TORNADOS, EARTHQUAKES AND CLIMATE CHANGE
9. THE MEGA-CITIES AND THE SLUMS
10. IDENTITY, INTIMACY AND INTEGRATION
11. CONSTRUCTION METHOD AND COSTS
12. LIVING AND WORKING IN THE EXISTING CITIES

MAQUETTEPHOTO 1

1. OFF TO A NEW SHAPE OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT

After the post war development centres, suburban locations and sleeping cities such as as as Almere, Lelystad, de Bijlmer, the outskirts of large cities such as Paris and the numerous mega-cities around the world turn out to be not just expensive, but also extremely boring, anti-urban, inhospitable and not safe. Additionally the beautiful, pre war cities have lost much of their attractiveness, due to the dramatic increase of the commuting traffic, which has taken complete possession of the existing public domain. In large this commuting traffic has banished the sense of safety, community and social meeting functions from the street. Pyramid cities (picture 1) as the new shape of urban development solve this problem. They function as an apartment complex. Through two crossing main roads on the ground level with a total length of 2km you will enter the city, under which you will park your car in the area of the elevator which belongs to your living square. Under this main road a metro or train track will be situated, including a station in the heart of the pyramid. The municipality needn't do anything to prime the construction site beforehand. They will have no extra work regarding the construction of the roads, sewage, lighting, green areas etc. This cuts expensive preparation costs. The maintainance of the roads is minimal, due to the fact these roads will not come in contact with frost, sun and rain.