Architect Paolo Soleri, Creator of Experimental City, Dies

Washington - In the USA, Italian-born architect Paolo Soleri has died at the age of 93, known mainly for his project of the experimental desert city of Arcosanti in Arizona. American media reported on Soleri's death on Tuesday.
The author, who also focused on urbanism, is regarded by colleagues as a visionary. More than 40 years ago, he began addressing the issues of sustainable urban development, which are extremely relevant in the 21st century.
Soleri started building the city of Arcosanti in 1970 in the Arizona desert about 100 kilometers north of Phoenix. On 350 hectares, he aimed to create a self-sustaining city for thousands of people that would demonstrate how to avoid the endless "sprawl" of metropolises into the surrounding space in the future.
Dense development with generous public space was to be proof that even quality architecture can be ecological. However, to date, Soleri has realized only five percent of the planned buildings, and only about 90 people currently live in Arcosanti.
Soleri was born in 1947 in Turin, Italy, and moved to the United States in 1947. He also worked for a year in the studio of the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright.