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don's report archiveWellness in the Headlines
Wednesday February 23, 2005 A map of the world that does not include Utopia is not worth even glancing at. Without the Utopians of other times, men would still live in caves, miserable and naked. As a former professional urban planner (MCP from UNC-Chapel Hill) and long-time wellness promoter, I sometimes consult on the design of new communities. My role, usually carried out in two-day brainstorming sessions with architects, bankers, developers and others, is to describe the nature of the wellness concept and attempt to translate such a mindset to the design of upscale, exclusive, resort-like communities. The goal is to create well environments that promote, encourage, facilitate or otherwise reinforce a good and healthful life. Throughout this week, I'm participating in such a brainstorming session with developers in Texas. My "charge" or role in the process was outlined to me last week in a letter from the director of the brainstorming team.
Piece of cake, don't you agree? Hahahaha.
I will begin my 30 minute presentation with a brief reference to the nature of the wellness philosophy but then move on to a summary of Mumford's work. I'll mention that, "like us here today, Mumford desired environments where citizens could most naturally pursue healthful, meaningful lives." Then I'll point out that Mumford's ideas about communities "free of disquieting negative stresses in harmony with nature" were extensions of the same concepts of good living advanced by earlier utopians. These included but were not at all limited to such thinkers as Hippodamus, Plato, Sir Thomas More and, in his own time, Patrick Geddes and the father of high level wellness, Dr. Halbert L. Dunn. My mini-history overview will conclude this way: "We meet here today as part of a long, unbroken tradition of Utopians seeking to enable, promote and design environments for the good life, for others. In doing so, we enable the same for ourselves and our successors." This, alas, will take about ten to fifteen of my precious thirty minutes! The next essay, set for Saturday of this week, will summarize what I offered regarding the five bullet points of the charge, given above, as well as my response to "ideas and suggestions for changing the way people live here, that is, how it can become a model wellness community." To finish in time, I think I'm going to have to talk very fast. Be well. Always look on the bright side of life. (Note: This essay will be filed in the archives in the MEANING DOMAIN under the skill area of applied wellness. Additional articles related to this theme may be found there.)
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