Fifth City Description

8/12/2019 Fifth City Description

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The Fifth Sacred Thing The Vision of the City

Diversity and a Multicultural Vision:

In the San Francisco of The Fifth Sacred Thing, diversity is a key value.

Many races and ethnicities coeist in har!ony. Differences of color, gender,age, seual orientation or "hysical a#ility are not allo$ed to restrict a "erson%so""ortunities. The ancestors of !any cultures are honored in cere!ony, art, andeducation.

&very child in the city gro$s u" s"eaking at least three languages:&nglish, a neigh#orhood or ancestral tongue $hich !ight #e S"anish,Cantonese, Mandarin, 'a"anese, Sa!oan, (hili"ino, )oru#a, *ra#ic, +e#re$ orhlone, and *!erican Sign -anguage. -essons and Council Meetings areal$ays signed as $ell as s"oken, so the deaf are easily integrated into "u#lic life.Streets, "ath$ays and ne$ #uildings are designed to #e accessi#le for$heelchairs and those $ith !o#ility "ro#le!s. etrofitting all of the city%s three

story Victorians $ould #e an undertaking #eyond the city%s ca"a"#ilities, #ut anyciti/en $ho #eco!es disa#led can have their o$n ho!e re#uilt.Diversity of lifestyle, learning style, religion, and culture are also honored

and are key to the richness and variety of city life.

The Streets and -ayout of the City

0The city $as a !osaic of 1e$el2like colors set in green, veined #y strea!sand dotted $ith glea!ing "onds and "ools. Seen fro! a#ove, #locks of old ro$houses defined streets that no longer eisted. Instead, #icycles and electric cartsand the occasional horse !oved through a la#yrinth of narro$ $alk$ays that

snaked and t$ined through the green. *#ove the roofto"s, gondolas like gaily"ainted #uckets s$u!g fro! da##les, ski!!ing fro! hillto" to hillto", !oving#et$een high to$ers $here $inds"inners turned. To the northeast, Maya couldsee a long traini !oving across te lo$er deck of the 3ay 3ridge, #ringing earlygrain to the central !arket. 3eyond, the #lades of the $ind generators ato" the4olden 4ate 3ridge see!ed sus"ended in !idair, their su""orts invisi#le undera gray shroud of fog.5 (" 627

In 789, $hen the novel #egins, glo#al $ar!ing and !elting ice haveraised the sea level #y a#out five feet, dro$ning the lo$lying areas of the city#uilt on fill #eside the #ay. The old do$to$n is flooded: scryscra"ers "eek outa#ove the $aters, linked #y s!all #oats, #ut !ostly a#andoned as "rovidingthe! $ith "o$er is a !a1or undertaking, and they $ere not #uilt for energyefficiency to #egin $ith, relying on elevators and air conditioning. * fe$ have#een refur#ished, $ith solar fil! on the $alls, $ind generators on "oles higha#ove, and $indo$s that no$ o"en to ad!it a #ree/e.

;here the $ater ends, the city has #een transfor!ed. Cars have !ostly#een eli!inated. * fe$ routes re!ain o"en for delivery trucks that run on secondand third "ress olive oil, and electric e!ergency vehicles, 1itneys, and #usses.3usses have #een transfor!ed into rolling art


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3urning Man gatherings of the turn of the century. (irate shi"s, #irthday cakes,giant flying "igs, huge 4oddesses, castles=every one is uni>ue, and Trans"ort4uild recruits scul"tors and "ainters. Many have o"en decks, and !usicians areencouraged to ride and "lay, so that strains of !usic constantly $aft through thestreets.

+igh "laces are linked #y gondolas, that s$ing on ca#les fro! hill to hill.Their su""orting to$ers also serve as the #ase for the $ind generators that"o$er the ca#les, and the s"inning #lades are "ainted so that their !ove!entgenerates flo$ing i!ages and colors. The underlying "re!ise is that if "u#lictrans"ortation is convenient, free, and fun, "eo"le $ill not !iss their cars.

3ut !ost trans"ort is #y foot, #y #icycle, or #y skate#oard, scooter,roller#lade, and a hundred ne$ variations on all of the a#ove. 'ust as young?or$egians once learned to ski as a !atter of course, youngsters of the citygro$ u" on skate#oards and their derivatives.

The streets have #een dug u", leaving narro$ snakes of as"halt for theskates and #icycles, and a fe$ delivery and e!ergency routes that are larger.

3uried strea!s have #een o"ened u" and no$ run freely through the city. Thestrea!s are lined $ith fruit trees, shade trees, and native shru#s that "rovide #irdand $ildlife ha#itat.

The strea!s are criss2crossed #y little #ridges and foot"aths, !any ofthe! accented #y colorful !osaics or carefully set "atterns of stone. 4ardensre"lace "ave!ent, for !uch of the city%s food is gro$n $ithin the city.

0%Do trees gro$ $here you co!e fro!@% a s!all #oy asked Madrone.0%%-ots of trees,% Madrone said. A;e go u" to the !ountains every year

and "lant thousands of the!. ;e "lant fruit trees along all the $alk$ays our city,so in the s"ring $hen they #losso! it%s #eautiful $ith "ink and $hite flo$ers, and

in the su!!er, $hen they ri"en, you can reach out your hand any$here andtaste so!ething s$eet. *nd no, $e don%t $orry a#out "eo"le stealing the fruit,#ecause it #elongs to every#ody, and theres% so !uch of it that everyone has!ore than enough.%5

(la/as and 4athering (laces:

Market Street=or $hat%s left of it=has #een turned into a $ide,"edestrian avenue, suita#le for "rocessions and de!onstrations, ending in theCentral (la/a carved out of the streets and o"en s"aces near the li#rary,!useu!s, and city hall. ?o$, every !orning it%s a true !arket, filled $ith stallscarrying "roduce and crafts. Side$alk cafes, children%s "lay areas, a skate#oard"ark and s!all o"en2air "erfor!ance s"aces transfor! the area into a lively cityheart. The dead /one of "u#lic #uildings around it has #een infilled $ithresidences, to create life at all ti!es of day.

&ach neigh#orhood also has its o$n "la/a. Many have #een carved outof intersections, and all have cafes and eating "laces, s!all sho"s, art, and "laye>ui"!ent, and "u#lic gathering s"aces. *s $ell, each has so!e s"ecial


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attraction, and !any are stations on the Track$ays.The itual +ill, for!erly kno$n as 3ernal +eights, is a $ild s"ace in the

heart of the city. The !icro$ave to$er on its to" has long #een recycled, andinstead, a large a!"itheater is #uilt there, $ith elegantly concealed sounde>ui"!ent and fa#ulous acoustics. n the level areas around the hill stand

shrines to a !ulti"licity of religions, and there%s "lenty of roo! for o"en2airgatherings, cere!onies, and dance.The Council +all sits #et$een the t$o !ounds of T$in (eaks. * huge,

light2filled, geodesic do!e, it has roo! for thousands to gather and de#ate.Many of the other hillto"s and "arks of the city have #een restored to

native ha#itat or "rovide far!land and gra/ing land. In a sense, the $hole cityhas #eco!e a "ark, #ut 4olden 4ate (ark re!ains s"ecial ground. *to" theisland in the center of Sto$ -ake no$ stands the earthen2roofed do!e $here thenine old $o!en of Defense Council kee" the city safe #y listeningand dreaming.

The Track$ays

;inding throughout the foot"aths of the city are s"ecial Track$ays, thatlead fro! destination to destination. They are the far descendents of those "ar2courses for runners $ith different eercise e>ui"!ent at each station. So!e,indeed, are for "hysical training, $ith o"en2air $eight !achines, chin2u" #ars,and $ater fountains at intervals along a route. Many are for children, $ith!arvelous fantasy2scul"ture "lay e>ui"!ent at $alking or cycling intervals, thatin se>uence take a child through a favorite fairy tale or teach a lesson. This is acity that children can e"lore safely. They can ride the #ack of the great $hite#ear, cli!# the s"ires of a !agic castle, and visit the four $inds. They can skatethe 1ourney of evolution, fro! tiny #acteria u" through cli!#a#le dinosaurs in fern

groves, or $alk the "ro"ortional length of the solar syste!, riding the $ide !erry2go2round of Saturn%s rings.For adults, there are *rt track$ays, leading fro! scul"ture to gallery to

$orking studio. There%s a giant *dult (layground, $ith s$ings, slides, and a1ungle gy! scaled to !ake gro$nu"s feel s!all again. There%s a Meditation;alk, leading fro! Ben 4arden to la#yrinth to shrine, and a (ath$ay of the&le!ents that $inds u" the itual +ill "ast shrines of &arth, *ir, Fire and ;ater.

*nd there%s the -overs% -ane, that leads fro! rose2covered #o$er to !oon2vie$ing to$er, "ast scul"tures of fa!ous lovers of all seual "ersuasions,"la>ues inscri#ed $ith "oetry, and heart2sha"ed !ail#oes $here !essages can#e left.

4ardens and Food:

&very house has its o$n s!all street garden s"ace in front, as individualas finger"rints=so!e are $ild collections of ra!#ling roses, gra"evines andhoneysuckle, others are geo!etric "otagers. 3ut the co!!unal food2gro$ingareas along the strea!s and foot"aths are scul"ted into flo$ing curves, s"iralsand round #eds $ith keyholes, esthetically "leasing and actually !aking !ore


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efficient use of s"ace than traditional ro$s. Trellises rise u" the $alls of theVictorians in the neigh#orhoods, and even so!e of the skyscra"ers have #eenretrofitted $ith tiles that "rovide "ockets for hardy "lants. &very "ossi#le inch ofgro$ing s"ace is used.

3ehind the Victorian ro$houses that line the city%s streets, each interior

#lock is a sheltered, secret garden


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The city has a#undant sources of rene$a#le energy. The tides andcurrents that flo$ under the 4olden 4ate turn huge generators that "rovide a!a1or source of electrical "o$er. It is su""le!ented #y solar "anels on roofs,$ind generators, including !any that hang fro! colorful #alloons sus"endeda#ove the roofto"s, and others that cro$n the su""orts of the #ridges that s"an

the #ay.

;ork and &cono!ics

0%;e don%t have centrali/ed control of the econo!y, although $e do have as!uch coordination as "ossi#le. ;e don%t have "roduction >uaotas, for ea!"le.;ork grou"s set their o$n goals and run their o$n affairs and #arter in the!arkets for credits. 3ut $e%ve co!e to understand $ealth and account for it indifferent $ays. Mar said that $ealth ca!e fro! la#or, #ut $e say there arethree different sources, and la#or is only one, the !ost varia#le. There is alsothe stored la#or of the "ast: for ea!"le, a house that $as #uilt a generation ago,

or !y grand!other%s &nglish #one china. That sort of $ealth should also #eshared fairly, not hoarded u" in a fe$ fa!ilies. *nd finally, there%s $ealth that is#ased on the resources of the earth, on the Four Sacred Things, and $ealth noone can "rofit fro! individually.%

0%Do you use !oney@%5 the $o!an net to HMadrone asked.0%ur credits function like !oney, #ut they%re not #acked #y gold or silver.

They%re #acked #y energy, hu!an and other sorts, and our #asic unit of value isthe calorie. So a "roduct is valued #y ho$ !uch energy goes into its "roduction,in ter!s of la#or and fuel and !aterials that the!selves re>uire energy to"roduce. *nd "art of that accounting is ho$ !uch energy it takes to to re"lace aresource that is used. So!ething that $orks $ith solar or $ind "o$er #eco!es

very chea". *nything re>uiring irre"lacea#le fossil fuels is generally tooe"ensive to think a#out.%0%3ut do you have rich and "oor@% the sa!e $o!an asked.0%;e%re each guaranteed a share of the $ealth of the "ast and of the

resources, $hich translates into a #asic sti"end of credits. *s I said #efore, youcould live on that, frugally, if you really didn%t $ant to $ork. 3ut if you do $ork,you earn $ork credits, and the !ore you $ork the !ore you earn, so there%sincentive for those $ho $ant "ersonal advance!ent. *nd if you do so!ethingreally s"ectacular, achieve so!ething fa#ulous, "eo"le #ring you gifts.%

0%Don%t "eo"le cheat@%5 asked a $o!an at the end of the ta#le.0%*ll the accounts are "u#lic. )our $hole $ork grou" sees the #ill you "ut

in each $eek, and #elieve !e, they kno$ if it%s accurate. If not, you%ll hear a#outit, and if necessary they%ll #ring it u" #efore your 4uild or council. f course,so!e 1o#s don%t lend the!selves to counting hours, like !ine, or like #eing anartis or a !usician. ;e get a fied sti"end.5

0%*fter the J"rising, every tool and device and "rocess $as reevaluatedaccording to the Five Criteria of True ;ealth that -atasha 3urton develo"ed.%

0%;hich are@% 3eth asked.0%Jsefulness. Sustaina#ility=!eaning that it !ust generate or save as


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!uch energy as it consu!es and doesn%t de"end on nonrene$a#le resources.3eauty. +ealing for the earth, or at least not #eing destructive. ?urturing for thes"irit. (rivate auto!o#iles failed, for ea!"le. They%re certainly useful and !any"eo"le !aintained that they can #e #eautiful, #ut they $eren%tsustaina#le.So!e industries disa""earedothers had to change. ;e "rint a

lot of #ooks, #ut $e !ake "a"er fro! he!", not fro! trees.%5 ""7E927EG

;ork is undertaken #y s!all grou"s that organi/e the $ork, set standards,and decide ho$ to distri#ute re$ards. ;ork grou"s are further organi/ed into4uilds for each "rofession or industry, that deter!ine $hat $ork, "roducts orservices are needed and $hich $ork grou"s $ill do the!. 4uilds #argain forresources, su""ort research and innovation, and have a voice in Council and thedecisions of city governance.

Seuality, +o!e and Fa!ily

0&very household gets credits for a certain nu!#er of $orking hours "er"erson, for ho!e !aintenance and for child care, or care of anyone $ho !ightneed it. )ou can trade those credits around any $ay you like=kee" the! if youdo your o$n $ork or assign the! to so!e#ody else if you%d rather get so!eoneelse to do it for your. *nd there are usually so!e "eo"le around, like students,$ho $ant to "ick u" a fe$ credits $ithout having to co!!it to a $ork grou".%

0%*nd !arriage@% Sara asked.0%That%s a "ersonal arrange!ent #et$een the "eo"le involved. So!eti!es

it%s #ased on their religion, if they #elong to one that has rules a#out those things.3ut it%s no longer an econo!ic arrange!ent. If a $o!an=or a !an=$ants tostay ho!e and take care of the house and the kids, they%d collect all those $ork

credits and they%d #e valued 1ust as !uch as for $ork done outside the ho!e,#ecause all $ork is valued the sa!e.5 "7EG0%;hat a#out incest and child !olesting@%0%;e don%t have the kind of social isolation that #reeds it. ;e have a lot of

different kinds of fa!ilies. So!e of us gro$ u" in #ig collectives, like I did. So!eare in etended fa!ilies, $ith aunts and uncles and cousins and grand"arentsso!e in s!all nuclear fa!ilies. 3ut $e !ake sure that no fa!ily is isolated. The?eigh#orhood Councils for! su""ort grou"s of "eo"le fro! different kinds ofhouseholds and #ackgrounds=to give different "ers"ectives. So every kid hashalf a do/en aunties and uncles fro! the ti!e they%re tiny. They%re encouragedto talk a#out things, to ask for hel", to "rotect the!selves. *nd $e train all ourchildren, early on, in self2defense, #oth girls and #oys.%5

In general the city is an o"en and tolerant "lace, $here every seualorientation feels $elco!ed. es"ect for diversity characteri/es the a""roach toseuality and fa!ily life=and no one $ay of #eing is considered the ideal or thenor!. 4ay, straight, >ueer, #i, and transgendered "eo"le are valued. Coercionand force are considered dee" illnesses and cri!es.

Many "eo"le, like Madrone and 3ird, are co!forta#le $ith o"en, !ulti"lerelationshi"s, others are !onoga!ous, or #eco!e so as they gro$ older and


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settle do$n.Seuality is seen as a "ositive, creative, healing force, and the city%s art

and architecture reflect that vie$ in scul"tures and s"aces conducive toro!ance, in education a#out seuality and safe se.

&ducation

&ducation in the city is a lifelong "rocess. Schooling for children is #asedon the #elief that children naturally $ant to learn, and learn #est #y having reale"eriences and reflecting on the!, #y involving !ind, #ody and e!otions, andthrough !usic, art, dance and "lay. Music and art are the core of the curriculu!,rather that "eri"heral luuries. ;hen children first learn to dru!, counting co!eseasy. ;hen they learn ho$ to read the tracks of ani!als and hear theconversations of #irds, learning to read and to s"eak other hu!an languagesco!es naturally.

ather than segregating kids in schools, they #elong to s!all -earning

4rou"s, each of $hich has an adult -earning 4uide $ho hel"s the! findresources and "resents lessons. -earning 4rou"s !eet outdoors ece"t in the!ost etre!e $eather, and their learning includes hands2on "ro1ects tendinggardens and ani!als, #ack"acking tri"s into the !ountains, #uilding, cooking,sailing, and s$i!!ing. *nything that needs to #e !e!ori/ed is set to !usic andsung. -earning is a coo"erative "ro1ect, and the grou"s are res"onsi#le for!aking sure all their !e!#ers !aster each su#1ect. Inter"ersonal skills andcoo"eration

0That $as the $ay 'ohanna ran the schools she #elieved children should#e taught a#out things fro! #eginning to end. So they learned to !ake fire fro!

sticks, and ho$ to "ut out fires, and then studied all the che!istry and "ysicsinvolved as the #uilt stea! engines and solar "anels and tracked the course ofthe sun. +e su""osed it $as a good $ay to learn certainly they had never #een#ored, and he $as al$ays co!ing across #its of useful kno$ledge.5 (.E6

*dults often for! learning grou"s to e"lore a su#1ect or skill, and !uch ofthe city%s entertain!ent is in the for! of $orksho"s on a !ultitude of su#1ects.?eigh#orhoods "rovide social centers $here classes and discussion grou"s can#e easily held, and neigh#orhood #ulletin #oards $here they can #e announced.

4overnance

The city is run #y nested series of Councils. &ach #lock has a Council tosettle dis"utes, oversee the co!!on gardens and streets, and "re"are fore!ergencies and disasters. -arger Councils run each neigh#orhood, and overalldecisions are !ade #y the 4rand Council, to $hich every citi/en has a right toattend. Decisions are !ade #y a !odified for! of consensus after !uchdiscussion, in $hich every "erson can "artici"ate. 4uilds and ?eigh#orhoodCouncils send re"resentatives, $ho are e!"o$ered to #lock a consensus, $hile


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individuals are not. *n *dninistrative 4uild handles !uch of the $ork, record2kee"ing, and day to day oversight of city affairs, #ut they are not considered to#e rulers eecutive officers.

Children are trained in consensus and in good discussion ha#its and skillsfro! an early age. Meetings are considered to #e #oth a duty and a "leasure,

social occasions as $ell as decision2!aking o""ortunities.Dis"utes are settled #y !ediators. There is no "olice force, #ut everychild and citi/en is trained in nonviolent intervention and self defense. If a truecri!e is co!!itted, a S"ecial Council can #e called, $ho $ill a""oint a skilledinvestigator and $ill hear the stories of all "arties involved. If necessary, a full

1ury trial $ill #e held. * cri!e is considered to #e so!ething that destroys the#alance of co!!unity=and the "ur"ose of 1ustice is first, to safeguard theinnocents, and second, to restore the #alance and reintegrate the $rongdoerafter a!ends are !ade.

In etre!e cases, if the $rongdoer is considered to #e an ongoing dangerto the co!!unity or refuses to !ake a!ends, he or she is #anished to the $ilds

of the northern counties $here roving #ands of the anti2social live #y hunting $ild"igs and leaching acorns.

Technology

The city has !ade great strides in rene$a#le energy and technologies#ased on rene$a#le resources. They have huge a!ounts of energy availa#le,#ut their only source for !etal, "lastics and fossil fuels is recycling the re!ains ofthe old society and !ining the old landfills. They use $ood, he!", and #a!#ooas $ell as natural #uilding techni>ues like ado#e and stra$ #ale. They use soy

and corn #ased "lastics 1udiciously.3ird%s !other 3rigid "ioneered the field of living crystal technology, $hichuses directed and focused !ind "o$ers to i!"rint and "rogra! coo"erativecrystals $hich are the core of their co!"uting and co!!unication syste!s. Thecrystals are sensitive to !ood and energy and shut do$n $hen the level oftension and aggression #eco!es too high.

+ealth and +ealing

The city "rovides all the !edical care needed #y its citi/ens, including a#ig focus on "reventative care. The city%s !edical kno$ledge and trainingsynthesi/es the #est of ;estern !edical science $ith Chinese !edicine,her#alis!, naturo"athy., and understanding of !ind


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true healing environ!ent.The old hierarchies of doctors, nurses and assistants have #roken do$n.

+ealers all get si!ilar #asic training=then develo" their o$n s"ecialties. *s theygain in e"erience and co!"etence, they gain res"ect and authority.

Defense

*fter the J"rising, the city recogni/ed that it did not have the resources to#oth re"air its infrastructure, develo" the ne$ syste!s of energy and food"roduction it needed, and !ount a standing ar!y.

0;e chose food over $ea"ons and so here $e sit, lovely #ut as unar!edas the Venus de Milo.5 "

They do, ho$ever, have a Defense Council, co!"rised of Anine old $o!en$ho listenand dream.% lder $o!en $ere chosen #ecause they $ere seen asleast likely to #e carried a$ay #y e!otion or testosterone. They s"end !ost oftheir ti!e in dee" !editation, $atching the currents of "ro#a#ility and $eaving a

"rotective, energetic shield for the region.

S"irituality, eligion and Magic

The city strongly values s"irituality and honors diversity in religion. Manydifferent religions coeist ha""ily, often sharing cele#rations and s"ace. itualhill is cro$ned $ith !any shrines.

0The u""er slo"es of the hill $ere dotted $ith shrines to 4oddesses and4ods, ancestors and s"irits. So!e $ere ela#orately scul"ted and "ainted, so!eas si!"le as an offering #asket under a tree. They enco!"assed an eclectic

!iture of traditions. * carin of !e!orial stones cro$ned a green !ounddedicated to the &arth 4oddess, $ho could #e called 4aia, or Tonant/in, orsi!"ly Madre Tierra, Mother &arth. Kuan )in ad a shrine and so did Kali and3uddha and !any #odhisattvas, along $ith devis and devas, *frican orishas andCeltic goddesses and 4ods. So!e for!ed natural cultures: The )oru#a shun,-ove 4oddes, 4oddess of the iver, stood near *"hrodite andInanna

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