"The Martian" By Andy Weir

Dome City Blog 2 - What is my vision for a Dome City? Why might we build one?

The Guardian newspaper Reported on 6 October 2014, in an article by Nicholas Watt, that Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats are proposing 5 new garden cities between Oxford and Cambridge.  He suggested that this would provide around 50,000 new houses.  He was quoted as saying: “Garden cities are a vital cornerstone of our plan to boost house building to 300,000 homes a year – enough to meet demand and keep prices in reach – while still protecting our precious green space and preventing urban sprawl. Our plan is to build a series of high quality new towns and cities where people want to live, with green space, sustainable transport and spacious homes."

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/oct/06/nick-clegg-promises-10-garden-cities-built-train-line-oxford-cambridge

  It is my view that dome cities could help to accomplish this aspiration of 300,000 homes per year.    Of course this is no use if no one would want to live in a dome city.  I have spoken to a few people and most of them are initially reluctant to consider living in a dome city.    First and foremost a dome city must be a place that is pleasant to live.  Briefly allow me to set out what I think a dome city will offer.   In my first blog of this series I proposed that a dome city is a geodesic dome 1 km in diameter and 500m high.  This first pass proposal would have around 48 equally spaced levels and a population density of 3860 people per square kilometre to house a total of around 100,000 persons.  To put this into context, this is a population density of Birmingham, UK or Miami, FL.  However, given the compactness of the site there will not be a need for cars within the dome.  I would suggest that lanes of about 4m in width will provide space for people to walk and cycle everywhere within the level.  Levels would be linked with elevators, escalators, stairs and ramps.  Walking and cycling are good for one's health.  In addition, I think these activities can foster a better sense of community because we are seeing and interacting with a fellow citizens as we walk and cycle.  When we're in our car our interaction is minimal.   I hope that this form of structure is feasible from a structural engineering point of view.  This isn't something I can answer at this stage so it could be something that destroys the feasibility of this proposal.   My second biggest concern would be to provide light to the centre of the dome, especially in the lower levels where the centre could be upto 500m from the edge.  I am hopeful that we could replicate daylight conditions during daylight hours with modern low energy lighting.  This lighting would follow the outdoor lighting levels so there will be a form of night in the dome with street lights for the residential areas.  Lighting is another aspect of the proposed design that I still have to investigate so it could be a show stopper.   Housing would mainly be in the form of single family dwellings.  In most cases people would not share any walls with their neighbours.  These homes could be prefabricated and built in a factory environment within the dome.  They should have outstanding design and flexible layouts and features.  I would hope that the initial residents would order a bespoke home to suit their exact needs.  These houses would then be delivered to their final location with only hook up and final fit out required.  This factory construction could greatly improve quality.  The housing should have high energy efficiency.  I would hope that we could make these homes very affordable.  Beside factory construction, another factor that could lead to lower cost is less need for waterproofing of the roof since the dome itself provides this.    I would propose that there be a power station adjacent to the dome city to provide electricity for the city.  The waste heat that arises from electricity production could be easily used for the supply of hot water all year round and heating in winter.  I was recently in Reykjavik. Iceland for a short holiday.  Hot water is never in short supply there and it make for some wonderful swimming opportunities.  Swimming is something I greatly enjoy.  This power source will form the topic of a future blog.   I would hope that we can provide extensive public spaces with opportunities for recreation such as sports like football, hockey (field and ice), bowls, tennis, badminton, basketball, swimming, ping pong etc...  We wouldn't want to neglect cultural aspects and there should be plenty of areas where these activities are encouraged and allowed.  To foster one facet of a vibrant and caring community, religions would be encouraged to provide churches/mosques/temples for their people to celebrate their religious beliefs in.  Public halls would also be a feature of the dome to encourage clubs, bands, youth groups and other organizations that allow us to build a civil society and connect with our fellow citizens.   Around each level in the dome, I would want to see a buffer of unbuilt space to allow people to see the sky and feel the wind on their face.  Given that Britain is a temperate country I do not envisage very much glazing on the exterior of the structure.  These buffer zones may become the places where the community goes for a stroll every evening.  I was once in Rostov on Don, and the Rostovian  make this a regular habit when I was visiting.    I would propose that here be a green belt at least 500m wide around the base of the dome. This green belt would mainly be in the form of park land  but some of it should be set aside for allotments, a community farm, and outdoor sporting facilities like grass football and rugby pitches.   With a population of around 100,000 people, good public transport links would be viable.  In addition, I expect that some of the residents will still need cars for commuting and excursions. An extensive parking garage would need to be provided.  I would also hope that some sort of car sharing/rental scheme arises to allow access to cars for those who don’t need to own a car. However, within the dome city, cars will not be required so some of the building area that is currently turned over to allow cars, trucks and buses to move around in modern cities becomes available for people.  Transport in the dome, for heavy goods, deliveries and for those with limited mobility, would be provided using electric vehicles.   With 100,000 people living in the dome there is an extensive demand for public services like schools, hospitals, police, fire fighters.  The city will need to provide services like energy, waste disposal, water and sewerage. Retail space would be needed to supply the needs to of the dome.  Light manufacturing would be encouraged as well as service industries.  I would hope that the dome city becomes a magnet for some that will form new businesses because they are attracted to the high density, good communication links and high quality of the community.  I would hope that it does not simply become a dormitory for commuters working in a nearby city.   Some people tell us to buy land, because they're not making any more of it. For a dome city the land area at the base of this dome is 0.785 square kilometres (194 acres, 78.5 hectares).  With the 48 levels the building area available within the dome is 25.3 square kilometres (6250 acres, 2530 hectares).  This has increased the available land area by a factor of 32.   The total land take assuming we have a 500m green belt around the site is 3.14 square kilometers.    This particular blog prompted by the extract shown below from The Economist magazine dated 04/10/2014   Having workers in the right places is critically important to generating more and better jobs. In both the rich and the emerging world unmet demand for housing is a significant constraint on growth. In developing economies many large cities have outgrown their capacity to house their populations, resulting in sprawling slums that harbour crime and disease. India’s government, for example, tightly restricts land use, making new construction costly and modern housing extremely expensive.   In rich countries restrictions on the supply of housing can be just as pernicious. In economically dynamic places such as New York and London the shortage of housing is a serious constraint on growth in output and highly paid jobs. Inadequate investment in infrastructure exacerbates the problem. As roads and trains become more crowded, residents grow wary of agreeing to new developments, and so it goes on.   Taken from: The Economist, Special report: The world economy, In this special report - The third great wave, Article Title: Means and ends - How governments can deal with the labour imbalance, Oct 4th 2014 | From the print edition   I hope this blog has made you consider dome cities as one possible way to address this problem of having workers in the right place. Dome City Blog Number 2  12 October 2014 Joe Heffernan   

Heading out for a cycle around Cumbrae (at Millport)

at Cardwell Bay

Dome City Blog 6 - Ring Park

Something I feel strongly about is that it is important to spend time outside and to have public parks that are easily accessible from the Dome City.  Therefore, I would like to see the Dome City surround by a ring of park land 500m wide.  

This Ring Park would provide parkland with an area of 235 hectares (580 acres).  

To put this into context, in London, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens together are 253 hectares (625 acres) while New York's Central park is 341 hectares (843 acres).  Of course, for the residents of the Dome City, would never be more than 500m horizontally from the Ring Park unlike residents of London and New York who could be much further away from these outstanding green spaces.

Some of the features i would hope to see in the Ring Park are sports fields with modest amounts of spectator seating for football, rugby, cricket, and field hockey.  There should also be some outdoor tennis and basketball courts. Pitches and courts for these sports would also be available within the Dome City but with limited head room due to height restrictions of the levels in the Dome City.  These are the sports I would choose but ultimately it would be for the residents to decide.  

I would expect that we would make allotments available for residents who want them to grow their own fruits, vegetables, herbs and other plants.

There should be a wide range of play parks for children of all ages and I would include a skate park within the Ring Park.

I would hope that there would be a lake where water sports such as swimming and kayaking could take place.

Somewhere in the Ring Park we should have a cemetery.  

Aside - I understand that the largest municipal cemetery in the whole of Europe is in Greenock, the town next to where I live.  It is 31 hectares.  If you are ever in Greenock and have a at a few hours visit this cemetery, it is fascinating - End aside 

Within the Ring Park here should be a range of different habitats such as grasslands, forests and marshes.  These habitats should become a haven for wildlife.

Footpaths and cycle ways would exist to encourage walking and cycling.

These are my initial suggestions and I think that the residents of the Dome City should have a say in what they want from the park.

Joe Heffernan - 8 April 2015

Today's highlight was Gullfoss Waterfall!

There were dolphins or porpoises off The Esplanade in Greenock last night - or maybe Nessie on holiday 😊

Dome City Blog 4 - Welwyn Garden City and my proposals for a Dome City

I have looked at an old map of Welwyn Garden City and I estimate that this town is around 7.5 square kilometers.  The population according to Wikipedia is 43,000.  Welwyn Garden City is considered that classic example of a “Garden City”.  Recent proposals are to build 5 new Garden Cities in Southern Britain to help reduce the current chronic housing shortage.  The proposals that I have read suggest that each of these cities would house around 15,000 people.

Garden Cities are attractive to people and politicians because they are considered to be great communities and a very pleasant place to live.  If we accept that new Garden Cities are a good place to live what would that suggest about my proposals for a Dome City?

In a previous blog I worked out that the Geodesic dome I am proposing would have a area are within it of 25.3 square kilometres.  assuming 43,000 people per 7.5 square kilometers this would allow a population of 143,000 people.  As I have stated previously my goal wold be to have 100,000 people living in the city so the effective density of this dome city would actually be less than Welwyn Garden City.

I have visited Welwyn Garden City once to have lunch at my Prefessor's house when I was doing my MSc.  While this visit was a long time ago and I wasn't paying really close attention I do remember my Professor's house as being in a quiet cul-da-sac with lots of green space around.

Assuming when get get the lighting within the centre of the dome right this suggests to me that the dome city could provide a very comfortable environment for it's residents.

Reasons that I would like to live in a dome city are:

The ability to walk everywhere within the city.  There would certainly need to be elevators when one is going up or down more than a few levels but once on any level you would never be further than 500m from your destination.

I live in Scotland where it rains alot.  The dome city will provide a roof over my head at almost all times allow me to be outside of my house much more.  I would hope that this would encourage more "outdoor" activities like sport, walking, cafes, open air concerts etc.

I feel that since people would walk around more that they would come into contact with their neighbours on a more regular basis.  I would hope and expect that this would engender better feelings of community.

I wouldn't need to own a car for day to day living.

Given the high population density I would see that public services would be easier and less expensive to provide.  Examples are:

With a electrical power plant located very close to the city combined heat and power is a real possibility.  The energy provider would be able to supply district heating at relatively low cost.  

I imagine that garbage collection could be made more efficient since people could carry their waste and recyclables to larger bins.  

Schools could also share facilities much more easily.  In addition, parents would have a greater choice of schools for their children since every school is accessible on foot by any child.  

Waste could be disposed of in an incinerator located within the city providing additional district heating options and reducing the amount of waste going to landfill.

Sewers could be smaller since they would not have to deal with rainfall.

I am sure there are more examples that I haven't thought of yet but I hope these do show you how costs could be reduced and services improved.

I hope you have found this interesting.

In London with Helen for a long weekend! (at London)

We went to the Blue Lagoon today. I do love hot springs.