Town Model | newstfrancistown

Simple Town Model

Simple Concept Model Town

Please see the simple town model pdf on the website. The town should be able to house 10,000 to 15,000 people and provide work for about 3,000+ people. It is approximately 4,000 ft X 3,000 ft.
In the center of the town are two raised bed railway lines. This is the main transportation in and out of town. The buildings in the center and connected to the main station are the hospital and main distribution center. The main distribution center loads and unloads cargo onto the train, and then distributes the cargo though the town. Travelers embark and disembark at the station and platform.
The green buildings near the center are various manufacturing facilities and markets.
The orange buildings are municipal metal works and fabrication shops. These buildings should be shared by the residents to work on new products or just have some fun making things.
A main street horizontally bisecting the town (in the present view) from left to right is a theatre, library, town hall and police department, fire station, distribution center, hospital, cinema, and sports arena.
The white block buildings are 115 ft square. These are apartment houses with five floors and a basement. The basement contains utility equipment and some storage. The first floor is a shop, restaurant, or office. The remaining four floors are apartment housing. Each floor has four 2,500 square ft apartments. An elevator and staircase are included. Some of the blocks are connected on the first floor to provide more shop space.
The are four separate neighborhoods, each with a church, school and recreational fields. The town dimensions are small enough to walk, bike or use a special purpose vehicle in a short amount of time. The churches and schools are surrounded by large areas for plazas, parks, gathering and recreational areas.
Statues and markers with biblical sayings should dot the town. Rosary walks should be considered.
Not shown around the town would be walking and biking paths that weave in and out of the natural environment. Fields mostly run by the abbeys expand out from the town to provide locally grown food.

Transportation

A central transportation system from town to town should use a raised rail system to move people and goods. The compact nature of the town, about one mile in diameter, makes a quick bike or walk from one place to another.
Cars will not be allowed.
Special purpose vehicles for equipment, furniture and other deliveries will be needed, but they should be used only by a central municipal distribution system. The central municipal system should take stock from incoming raised trains (trucks before trains are available) and store in a central warehouse for distribution by the town municipal system. Like a town post office for goods to homes, stores, the hospital, etc.
The transportation system should provide town to town conveyance, town to central train hubs, airports and ports.
There are so many wonderful sights to enjoy in the world that a significant portion of our lives should be spent visiting sights of wonder and joy, and an efficient transportation system is needed for that.
Towns should be linked by walking and bike paths that could be along the same route and under raised rail system, or recreational paths that intersect from town to town.

Local Government

The taxes of the town should support the local Catholic hospital, Catholic schools, Police and Fire, Emergency Medical Teams, administration, pathways and grounds, utilities, train station, and distribution center.
The local government should have an elected body to make ordinances, an elected mayor, and a set of judges to interpret and strike down ordinances. Clergy could serve as these judges.
A lot more work needs to go into this section.

Buildings and Utilities

Constructing a town well from the very beginning is key to simplicity, safety, longevity and efficiency.

The area of the town should be flattened, with a slight rise to the center for some surface drainage. This will make walking, biking, or taking special purpose vehicles through the town easy.
Create beautiful, sustainable buildings, built to last. Go to Italy, Spain, France, Ireland or Poland, and pay attention to the design of public buildings, not just the churches. You will find examples of finessed cornices, beautiful brick designs, and a sense of the ornate –simple, but not over the top. Buildings should be kept to six floors or less. The tallest structures in the town should be the steeples on the churches.
Buildings should be highly insulated to reduce the amount of heating and cooling necessary. Current designs are highly efficient and will significantly reduce environmental impact.
Utilities distribution lines will be run along the main roads, but not in them, and alongside transportation routes. Water, sewer and gas lines can be co-located in sealed trenches below walking and riding paths at a depth below the frost line for the area. Electricity should be hung from the main support columns of the train system in and out of town, and then buried in the town streets. Storm drains as needed to reduce the amount of water on the walking and biking paths, roadways and public areas.
In all the mechanical systems, redundancy, simplicity and preventative maintenance must be taken into account during the design. Systems should be standardized. Building direct digital control and monitoring systems should be used to discover problem areas and track preventative and ongoing maintenance. Groups of buildings should have a main control and dispatch space manned around the clock.
Technology today allows us to produce electricity mostly through sustainable methods, such as wind, solar and hydro. Gas and nuclear power should still be considered to gap the need for base load power. Gas fired power plants that cogenerate electricity and steam or hot water should be considered. Steam or hot water distribution systems should be considered if thermal equipment is designed for larger than single buildings. Solar arrays on rooftops for small scale electricity generation or hot water heating should also be considered.