Concept BRC City Plans for 100,000

[some seeing eye]

For 2016 BMORG will ask to raise the population cap. A lot of what is going on with the BLM and BMORG now is dogs sniffing one anothers' private parts to figure out how that works. The vehicle passes, opening times, early entry, Burner Express, airport and traffic management is a big part, as well as all the BLM 20 principles fixit points.

Another burner made some concept plans for a big city dubbed the biohazard plan on the now inactive Remote Controlled Vampire Cat blog: http://jmpalmier.blogspot.com/2012/02/b ... -2015.html.

Discuss.

[Bless]

I don't see any advantage to this conceptual design over the current one. You know what they say, if it ain't broke don't fix it.

[tamarakay]

I have seen that before and all of can say is the stallion would be lost as a goose. Not sure he would ever find camp again.

Plus, 100,000 people getting off playa on that road. Makes me kinda sick to my stomach.

[The Rod]

That looks way too fucking complicated. For me anyways, I can barely find my way around in BRC as it stands.







Although now I kind of wish there was some way I could turn myself into a vampire.

[trilobyte]

I didn't care for the idea back then, and still don't.

Expanding on that, while working on this year's art project I spent a ridiculous amount of time thinking about the future of Black Rock City (that's on top of the years of musing about it in general, as well as countless conversations with people involved with the city's design.

I actually think that the current crescent design that Rod came up with holds up at much larger populations. It scales ridiculously well, by simply expanding the radius (distance from man to Esplanade), and adjusting the distance between and number of streets. If they added many more radial (alphabet) streets then I'd suggest additional plazas, which is exactly what the existing design calls for. I also like the way they did that Boulevard G expansion a while back, and think they could do another boulevard as they expanded it.

I like the other core elements of Rod's design a lot... it's gathered around a single center, yet is not a fully enclosed ring. You could think of it as "open to possibilities" or like some kind of port city, with that big open area for exploration and adventure.

[zorro sings]

Although now I kind of wish there was some way I could turn myself into a vampire.

It's your lucky day!

[mdmf007]

that open design facilitates ems response as well.

[Hope-a-Lope]

Initially I'm intrigued by a new layout. Challenge! Adventure! More than one big open space!

But imagine when people start stealing street signs.....

Also, agreed that entry/exit is still the biggest problem when it comes to population increase.

[vargaso]

That design is aesthetically pleasing, but the multi open playa thing would take away from the shared and central experience of one playa, with the Man at the center. Still, it's interesting.

[dragonpilot]

Plus, 100,000 people getting off playa on that road. Makes me kinda sick to my stomach.

Agreed! Leave the cap at 70,000 forever. In time people will lose interest trying to get a ticket, event popularity will die, and life will return to normal. Am I a dreamer?

[gaminwench]

yes, but you're not the only one.

[FIGJAM]

Perhaps someday you'll join us and the world will live as 100,001.

[The Rod]

You know what they say, if it ain't broke don't fix it.

Well, looks like the geniuses in charge decided it needs fixing anyways, and they're asking our help for once..

[Nipple]

It's not the org that's asking for a new city design.

It's just some participants.

The clock doesn't appear to be in an danger of being replaced.

[BBadger]

That design, in my mind, "doesn't get it." What better shape to choose to symbolize exclusion than one that separates the city into three major neighborhoods that face away from the center of the city? There are also all these little back-side corners in the city. Do these become little township parks that one has to wander through the 'burbs to visit?

The only real reason there would need to be a redesign is in order to reduce the amount of distance from the outer arcs to the open playa. The current design scales fine, but as the city grows, people in the outskirts have a long distance to travel to the central playa, and eventually the city will be larger than the open playa area itself (including deep). What does this biohazard design do? It multiplies the problem, requiring everyone to journey long distances to see different parts of the city -- unless they're camped in the downtown thoroughfare sections of the cities.

That biohazard shape is also more optimized for perimeter, rather than area -- the latter of which is the real goal. It's entirely ironic that the biohazard design is supposed to enable BRC to scale, but the shapes of the arcs actually prevent scaling because they intersect each other at their back sides. There's no way to incrementally scale that design without resizing every feature, which increases distances at all points. I highly doubt that proposed design even accommodates the existing BRC population. All it does is provide more open playa -- which isn't going to help things!

[Melonblue]

Well looks like Open Call for designs has been launched?

http://www.archdaily.com/771869/open-ca ... e=facebook

and http://brcmup.org/ Black Rock City Street Plan Design Competition

Who wants to draw?! (busts out pencils!)

[trilobyte]

It's a little misleading at first - the site gives you the initial impression that Burning Man is involved and this is some kind of official competition to help design the city, when it's not. Reading down the page a bit, it's a completely separate group of long-time burners. They do plan on submitting the 'winning' plan to Burning Man, but I'm guessing that would be an unsolicited submission, the same kind anyone could submit at any time. They also suggest that the winning submission could be implemented as soon as the 2017 season, but they also disclaim that as being at Burning Man's discretion... reading between the lines I'm seeing that as they'll send in the unsolicited plans, and Burning Man will use or not use any or all of it as they see fit (also the same as anybody else's unsolicited plans). They do say that they'll display the winning design on the playa, so there's that.

I've never been a big fan of beauty or popularity contests, regardless of the prizes involved.

I say that if you think you have a compelling idea or city plan, or even just a way to improve some part of the city, you don't need to goof around with the competition. Post event you can use the feedback@ address, otherwise you'd just write up your proposal or plan and send it to playainfo@ and it would be routed to the appropriate people for review and consideration.

[some seeing eye]

This is the best of ePlaya. Within 24h a post of a competition involving the BM city layout on ePlaya, its true details are authoritatively placed. And great to ePlayans for turning up the city plan competition! Best of open source culture.

[BBadger]

I hope they remember to print it on single ply.

[gaminwench]

Rod's (may he RIP) beloved city plan is well designed, playa tested, and intended to scale up efficiently.

I'd guess that there are NO plans, at the administrative/decision making level, to change the current layout.

(maybe it's just hoping, cuz I'm sooo directionally challenged.)

Really, why fix what ain't broke?

although it is an interesting design challenge for those inclined to ponder.

[Canoe]

It's a little misleading at first - the site gives you the initial impression that Burning Man is involved and this is some kind of official competition to help design the city, when it's not. ...

Glad to know. I thought the org had really flipped out this time.

Most people navigate the design rather well, especially emergency services.

For god's sake, learn how a fricken clock face works, heaven have mercy on your soul if you have to ask how to get from 6 fucking pm to 7 fucking pm while fleeing the beast with a thousand megaphones.

New 100,000 BRC Playa Layout -> Same hour-roads, but Digital!