13/05: Eden

Tags:
After Auden:

Eden

Landscape: Mountainous and inhospitable, with a rocky and complex coastline, and with less than 15% of the land surface arable. At least one desert, and a rainforest on the southern border. Strong ocean currents and numerous offshore islands.

Climate: Seasonal and highly variable. Occasional severe storms, but no hurricanes or tornados. Hot, dry summers.

Ethnic origin of inhabitants: Various English and Italian ethnicities with strong local culture.

Language: English and dialect.

Weights and Measures: Metric (my one concession to Utopia)

Religion: Catholicism, but without any Constantinian impulses.

Capital: Around a million people, densely urban with ethnic neighborhoods and no suburbs.

Form of Government: Federal, with a central monarch chosen by lot, and local direct democracy.

Sources of Natural Power: Wind, geothermal, and solar.

Economic activities: Small-holdings farming, light industry, and ecotourism.

Means of transport: Electric tram, canal, and bicycle.

Architecture: Though none of these styles go together, Byzantine for sacred buildings, Georgian or Neo-Palladian for public buildings, Burnham-era skyscrapers, and Baroque houses.

Domestic Furniture and Equipment: Obviously this would be a matter of personal taste, but everyone's personal taste would tend toward the old and well-worn.

Dress: The perfect balance of functional constraints and ceremonial pride.

Sources of Public Information: Gossip and pirate radio.

Public Statues: Naturalists, geologists, and animals.

Public Entertainments: Theater, opera, and rock festivals.

Comments

Carl Lumma wrote:

OK, attaching to the right post this time.

Landscape: Mountains, valleys, freshwater lakes and rivers.

Climate: Temperate with short winters. Enough rain.

Architecture: High-density in valleys, single-family in mountains.

Ethnicity: Multicultural

Language: Rampant bilingualism with universal fluency in English.

Weights and Measures: English (12 and 16 are better bases than 10).

Religion: Choirs. Daily morning rehearsal and weekly nightime vigil.

Government: Anarchy with efficient jurisprudence. Dominant assurance contracts. A few approval-ballot offices.

Energy: Photovoltaic

Industry: Small-holdings farming, nanofabrication.

Transportation stack: pedestrian - Segway - train

Recreational travel: equestrian - recumbent bike

Architecture: Yes

Sources of public information: Libraries. Wiki wiki web.

Entertainment: Outdoor theater from spontaneous to large-scale. Annual field games.
16/06 10:37:27