If you are a planner or an elected or appointed government official...

A VillageTown will be a completely different proposal for a real-estate development than anything you would have encountered in public service. The tendency to put it in a familiar box - perhaps thinking it is some sort of eco-development, for example - will cause confusion and misunderstanding. For government officials in New Zealand, who are familiar with the purpose statements of both the Local Government Act and the Resource Management Act, which talk about enabling people and communities to provide for their economic, social, cultural and environmental wellbeing, the VillageTown is a concept that takes those purpose statements seriously.

It asks How can we really enable people and communities (in this case, we call those communities 'villages') to provide for their wellbeing?

We have developed the VillageTown concept in a way that actually enables the people who will live there to create a place that serves their needs and enables them to pursue their aspirations. With the complete economy, the VillageTown is able to guarantee zero unemployment and zero poverty. It is a place with a low tolerance for crime, and with no cars within the village walls, it is safe for children and elders. It solves a host of traffic problems because it is a 24/7 community with no outbound commuters. All its schools are set within the VillageTown and all classrooms are within walking distance. It uses its billion-dollar development budget to take advantage of the best practices in terms of water, waste water, solid waste recycling, energy saving and other utilities. It pays its own way, and for most host communities will add both to local coffers and the economic health and strength of the surrounding region. It seeks to stimulate the surrounding farm lands by signing permanent contracts for all foods that can be grow locally and to protect the farm land by buying their development rights so they always remain as farms.

The VillageTown invests in cultural enrichment to make it a regional attraction for cultural and social events. It addresses a wide range of social issues without dependency on central government. It provides a safe and supportive environment for all ages and stages of life, all the way to the end... eldercare is local and personal. Economically, it invests in a walk-to industrial park to support a blue collar community, and a cosmopolitan town center with 4-story commercial office buildings in the heart of the VillageTown. All of these activities are surrounded by a 300 acre greenbelt that is specifically designed to enable its people to enjoy the experience of a natural environment while preventing cross-boundary conflicts with the neighbors. There are many more aspects to a VillageTown, and we invite you to explore this web site to learn about them.

If you like this idea, we also invite you to click here to spread the word.