Transcript The Economic Development of Colorado County, Texas

What is
Walden 3-D, Inc.?
Information
Designing
Needed
Maps
The
Quincentenary
The Economic Development of
Colorado County, Texas
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
What is
Walden 3-D, Inc.?
The Economic Development of
Colorado County, Texas
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
Creating a multi-dimensional network of minds for
planning 3-D Intelligent Cities
or, in other words,
Integrating information to
simulate,
demonstrate, and
document
living within the available cosmic-energy savings account.
Walden 3-D 's Vision:
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
To lead a revolution in urban planning through information
technologies. The planned end result is the development of
cost-effective and ecologically sound three-dimensional cities.
These new communities will provide the highest and best land use,
juxtaposing a large building mass with nature to benefit both,
while maximizing utilization of finite resources.
The projects will accommodate a greatly increased population
compared to the population on an equivalent footprint in one
of today's conventional housing developments.
The new complexes will use state-of-the art concepts in
energy conservation, waste treatment and recycling.
Living units will "plug" into an intelligent network
providing residents with complete environmental control
and access to information worldwide,
encouraging information-based decision-making and
scrupulous democracy.
Walden 3-D 's Mission
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
Tune the design so that
the completed form system
will perform optimally within
the natural system
Eliminate all conflict between the two basic systems
Design with nature and not away from nature
Live with nature and not off nature
The Objective
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
Bill Bavinger:
Information Designer
Director RAVL, Rice University
Houston, Texas
Raymond Gardner:
Architect
The Gardner Architects Partnership
Cedar City, Utah
Roice Nelson:
Geoscientist and 3d Seismic Interpreter
Founder, Landmark Graphics Corporation
Houston, Texas
Mic Patterson:
Materials & Structural Styles Specialist
Co-founder, Pearce Structures
Canoga Park, California
Dave Peterson
Urban and Rural Planning
Consultant
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Bill Rollwitz
Founder, Hypermedia eXchange Corporation
Houston, Texas
Anders Saustrup
Research Associate
Round Top, Texas
Sherry Sump:
Secretary and Administrator
Walden 3d, Inc.
Barker, Texas
Cara White:
Urban Planner
Research Associate
Charleston, South Carolina
Gordon Young:
Electrical Engineer and Entrepreneur
Inventor and patent holder for LYNK
Salt Lake City, Utah
Shisha van Horn
Computer Specialist
Research Associate
Houston, Texas
Walden 3-D, Principal Collaborators:
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
Urban systems are collapsing.
Because the design of each building is done in complete
isolation from its participation in the system.
But the bright side is
every time a system collapses
there is a need for a new solution.
The Problem
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
The Designers:
The Thinkers:
Sir Thomas Moore
Thomas Jefferson
Henry David Thoreau
Mahatma Gandhi
Buckminster Fuller
Philosophical Foundation
Louis Henri Sullivan
Frank Lloyd Wright
Paolo Soleri
Bruce Goff
Ian L. McHarg
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
- Teams working together outperform individuals.
- Armies with a common goal outflank armies dug into the sand.
- In the course of time, competition tears down while cooperation
builds up.
- Greed drives competition which is antithetical to cooperation.
-Recognizing when we have sufficient for our needs leads us to
cooperation and to a better quality of life.
- The opportunity is to:
do a master plan which optimizes the return to everyone in the county.
Cooperation vs Competition
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
- Walden 3-D, Inc. is sufficiently interested in developing a prototype
system to cover the costs,
unless funded projects come up changing company priorities.
- We are keeping track of expenses.
If the results for Colorado County are as positive as expected,
Walden 3-D would like to recover expenses and make a reasonable profit.
- Expenses as of May 1, 1991:
- Projected monthly expenses:
$ 4,529.72
- Anticipated expenses May 1-September 1, 1991:
Total anticipated expenses
through September 1, 1991:
Cost to Colorado County
$ 5,129.96
18,118.88
$23,248.84
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
Information
Designing
The Economic Development of
Colorado County, Texas
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
Planning
Design
Information
Database
and
Resource
Dictionary
Analysis
Implementation
Operation
and Maintenance
Information Designing
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
Solar
Energy
Envelope
Flow of Matter Nutrients
Planetary
Surface
Green Plants
Geology
Physiography
Soils
Herbivores
Impacts
Effects
Carnivores
Climate
Decomposers
Hydrology
Performance
Abiotic
Biotic
Application to Project
Facility
Structural
HVAC
Electrical
Lighting
Communications
Other Systems
Complexes (Cities)
Land Use
Population
(Demographics)
Transportation
Economics
Infrastructure
Utilities
Services
Health
Natural Environment
Human
Design
Analysis
Manufacturing
(Construction)
Operations
Organize
Circulate
Communicate
Produce
Explore
Performance
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
Policy: Decision-making
in the absence of
knowledge or information.
Something we hope will never happen in Colorado County.
A Definition
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
Traditional Decision-Making
Summary
Conclusions
Raw
Data
Pattern Recognition, Prediction, Empirical Determination,
and Recursive Optimization
Two Approaches to Decision Making
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
Rainfall
Vegetation
Erosion
Drainage
Water
Wind
Access
Hydrology
Views
Climate
Temp./Hum.
Sunlight
Physiography
Context
Boundaries
Contours
Noise
Buildings
Legal
Rocks
Geology
Zoning
Soil
Utilities
Zoning
Easements
Physical Characteristics
Site Hierarchy
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
Land Use
Population
and
Demography
Energy
and
Utilities
Transportation
Government
Services
Health Data
Economic
Data
Physical
Structure and
Infrastructure
Natural
Environment
Composite Map
Mapped Urban and Rural
Information Processing
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
Selection of
Analysis
Strategy
Global Planning and
Problem Solving
Selection of
Learning
Strategy
Learning of
Analysis
Strategy
Learning
Programmed Analysis
Selection
of optimal
policy
Real World
Analysis System
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
Computers can create pictures of artificial worlds.
A computer-generated movie can represent what the eyes would have seen:
sailing with Columbus across the Atlantic Ocean,
visiting the city of Columbus, Texas, in 1920, or
having a birds eye-view or what alternative futures could hold.
Visualization of computer-generated worlds holds great promise for planners,
architects, as well as for the entertainment industry.
Computer Simulations:
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
SIMULATION
Current
Research
Real World
Data Types
Information
Management
Central Database
Analysis / Management
Computer Programs
Computer-Aided Design
Graphics Files
Computer
Documentation
Accounting
Procedures
Paper
Plans
REAL-WORLD PROCESSES
Natural Environment, Cities,
Buildings, Manufacturing, Etc.
Simulation
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
The
Quincentenary
The Economic Development of
Colorado County, Texas
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
- Walden
3-D, Inc. is interested in driving the economic
development plans of Colorado County in order to prototype
a generalized computer system for urban and rural planning and design.
- Why? Because of the location of Columbus and Colorado County relative
to Texas population centers and the potential exposure of the prototype
planning system due to the Columbus quincentenary activities.
Quincentenary Celebration
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
Austin
Colorado
County
Houston
San Antonio
20 miles
Project Location
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
Cities, towns, and communities in Colorado County
113 historical communities
28 existing communities
3 incorporated cities
1/2 owe origin to the railroads
Rural County Dynamics
Crop failure (cotton) and farm mechanization
Economics move young people to the city
Towns turn into old-folks' homes
Old-folks' homes turn into cemeteries
Cultural Basis
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
Minerals
Gas Province
2,718 wells in county
Specific seismic data available through multiple brokers
(Imagine the economic impact of a county-sponsored
subsurface interpretation of existing well and seismic
data, new prospect generation, and cooperative marketing
for new plays to the oil and gas industry.)
Sheet Gravels
Landscaping Soils and Sands
Water
Underground Resources
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
Farmers' Market
Intersection of I-10 and Highway 71
'El Mercado' like in San Antonio
Prairie Restoration
Prairie Dogs (popular tourist attraction in Lubbock)
Buffalo
Longhorn Cattle
Reforestation
Tax advantage for planting pine trees
14 year harvest
Basis of future lumber industry
Flower arrangements and dried grasses (Quentin Stiles)
Wild flower seeds (John Thomas)
Jasmine rice
Wine industry (Thomas Volney Munson grapes)
Agriculture
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
Water
Riverboats
Canoes
Rail
Re-creation of first Texas railroad from Harrisburg to Stafford to
Richmond to Eagle Lake to Alleyton
Old Train Depots to Youth Hostels
Trail Riding
First cowboys in 1830's
Local trail rides, dutch-oven cooking, cowboy catering (Steve Henderson)
Abandonded Train tracks provide county with linear parks
Hiking
Volksmarch: historic stroll and jogging trail
Sculpture Park
Highways
Equivalent to London Hyde Park to Brighton Antique Car Run
Cycling
Air
Regional Airport
747 maintenance center
Confederate Airforce demonstration field
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Transportation
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
For first time since 1927 Columbus is debt free
In fact, the town has $1.6 million cash
County has numerous old people
Resource that can demonstrate pioneer skills
Opera House has outstanding acoustics
Focal point for preservation and dissemination of ethnic music
Weekly dances or concerts rotating between
Asian, Black, Cajun, Czechoslovakian, German, Polish, Russian,
and Spanish
Tie in pioneer buildings, plantations and local history:
G. Borden
Sen J. Katayama
Robert Lloyd Smith
Lyman Wright
Velva L. Burrell
Columbus: a future Texas' Williamsburg?
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
The Colorado County Project formalizes the movement
from an industrial age paradigm
to an information age paradigm
A profound change in the way things are built.
A significant change in the finances of construction.
A way of providing integration and rational performance driven design.
A New Paradigm
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
Needed
Maps
The Economic Development of
Colorado County, Texas
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
Climate
Average Temperature
Temperature Highs and Lows
% Sunshine and Frost
Rainfall
Wind (average and maximum)
Soils
Topography
Erosion
Vegetation
Crops
Crop Patterns
Flood Control and Flood Plains
Subsurface
Gas
Minerals
Gravels
Open-Pit Mining
Wildlife
Endangered Species
Attwater Prairie Chicken
Hydrology
Surface Water
Drainage
Groundwater
Required Natural Environment "Maps"
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
Population
Demographics
Population Characteristics
Transportation
Traffic Counts
Types of Highways
Grade of Highways
Abandonded Railroad right of ways
Private Property Information
Assessments
Valuations
Housing Types
Property Lines
Commercial Property Information
Type of Business
Business Location
Economic Impact
Infrastructure
Gas
Water
Sewer
Power
Communication
Required Built Form "Maps"
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
Great men have not been merely
dreamers. They have returned from
their visions to the practicalities
of replacing the airy stones of their
dream castles with solid masonry
wrought by their hands.
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991
- Hyper = Hyper-Links: a web of computer pointers connecting each piece
of data with related data
- Media = Multi-Media: alphas, numerics, images, overlay interpretations, sounds,
video, and simulations on the same computer screen
- Associative, non-linear interconnections of multi-media materials
- An ideal storage and retrieval system (collective memory) for
- Historical data
- Design information
- Evolving plans
a project of the scale and complexity of a 3-D intelligent city or the rural
development of Colorado County
- A peripheral brain and user-friendly dynamic information depository
- Knowledge alive and growing: a knowledge construction set
Dynamic compared to books, which are linear hierarchies frozen in time and space.
Hypermedia eXchange Corporation
P.O. Box 382
Barker, TX 77413
(281) 578-7191
Hypermedia
Walden 3-D, Inc.
Designing Responsive Environments
Copyright © 1991