Hi, welcome home to the cloud country, a think tank of like minded dreamers, planners, and builders, looking for the quickest path forward to an alternate future where people are not exhausting the resources of the planet, and are living in wholesome and personally rewarding lifestyles, free from either the control of authoritarian organizations, or poverty, anarchy and chaos. This is the early stages of planning, and we could use your input.
The Cloud Country: a group of people working together, planning how to reorganize the way we live in order to live better and solve the major problems we face today.
If you are frustrated by the fact that our political and economic systems can’t find solutions to the major problems we face, like war, pollution, climate change, species extinction, hunger, equality, and increasing mental health issues, then the Cloud Country is for you.
The Cloud Country is organizing itself in the cloud before we create anything in real life, so this is an exercise in figuring out what is both within reach, and best for humanity and the world.
It’s about looking clearly at the research and experiments that have been done, the tech that is available, and what’s in our hearts and spirits and finding a path with heart that actually satisfies the full range of human needs.
We’ve never had the tech for people in so many different places and with so many different perspectives to collaborate, and it’s this collaboration that is at the heart of the cloud country. The Cloud Country is totally crowd sourced from the planning, to the funding, to the running and evolution of the systems.
We are calling it the Cloud Country to bring to mind the bigness of the vision and the eventual possibility of being joined by millions or billions of people, but the Cloud Country is not interested in competing with nations in any way.
GOVERNANCE
WE ARE FOCUSING ON 1ST USING MODERN TOOLS TO CREATE PRACTICAL, TRANSPARENT, FAIR, AND EFFICIENT WAYS TO COLLABORATE ON SENSEMAKING AND DECISIONS, BUILT FOR PEOPLE AND BY PEOPLE INSTEAD OF FOR AND BY LAWYERS.
WE ARE SPREADING POWER AND ACCOUNTABILITY TO 100% OF THE PEOPLE AFFECTED BY DECISIONS AND
WE ARE INCREASING INPUT FROM DEMOCRATIC BODIES OF VERIFIED EXPERTS, NOT JUST A FEW APPOINTED EXPERTS DOING THE WILL OF THE PARTY THAT HAPPENS TO BE IN POWER.
ECONOMICS
The Cloud Country is about creating local economic systems that meet fundamental human needs like food, shelter, energy, and safety, with as little work as possible, allowing people to spend their energy in personal and cognitive development, healing, fun, and meeting higher order needs. It may sound lazy, but there is a lot of research to support this strategy.
The Cloud Country is working with systems like automated aquaponic greenhouses, active and passive solar architecture, geothermal heat pumps, maker spaces, and worker run coops using software that reduce inefficiencies and labor, making the economy fair, transparent and efficient.
CULTURE
THE CLOUD COUNTRY IS INTERESTED IN CREATING AN OVERARCHING FRAMEWORK OF SAFETY THAT FIRST ALLOWS MEMBERS TO EXPERIENCE REAL LIFE MEANINGFUL CONNECTION AND COMMUNITY.
THE CLOUD COUNTRY WILL REDUCE DISENFRANCHISEMENT AND THE DISCONNECT BETWEEN WORK AND THE REST OF LIFE AND
THE CLOUD COUNTRY IS SEEKING WAYS TO SUPPORT THE BALANCE BETWEEN FREEDOM OF INDIVIDUAL EXPRESSION AND THE EMERGENCE OF UNIQUE AND INDIVIDUAL GROUP CULTURES AND TRADITIONS.
TECHNOLOGY
THE CLOUD COUNTRY IS FOCUSING ON SETTING UP STATE OF THE ART GOVERNANCE USING THE LATEST TOOLS LIKE THE WEB AND BLOCKCHAIN TO ALLOW TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. THE RIGHT TECH CAN MAKE IT EASIER SO HAVE MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT IN HOW WE RUN THINGS.
THE CLOUD COUNTRY IS LOOKING AT USING AND DEVELOPING APPROPRIATE GREEN TECHNOLOGY TO REDUCE COSTS AND IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE.
THE CLOUD COUNTRY WILL USE TECHNOLOGY TO MANAGE THE FLOW OF GOODS AND SERVICES IN AN INCORRUPTIBLE LEDGER THAT IS TRUSTLESS AND TRANSPARENT:, DECENTRALIZED, AND INEXPENSIVE TO RUN AND MAINTAIN. THAT MEANS BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY.
ECOLOGY
BY SETTING UP A TRULY DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE SYSTEM THAT FACILITATES FIRST MAKING SENSE OF THE PROBLEMS WE FACE, AND THEN MAKING DECISIONS THE CLOUD COUNTRY WILL BE ABLE TO BRING THE ENVIRONMENT MORE FULLY INTO THE DISCUSSION.
BY PRODUCING AS MUCH OF OUR OWN GOODS AND SERVICES, AS LOCALLY AS POSSIBLE, THE CLOUD COUNTRY WILL PUT MEMBERS IN DIRECT CONNECTION WITH THE PLANNING AND REGULATION OF THE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY THAT THEY BENEFIT FROM. WHEN THE PRODUCERS ARE THE SAME PEOPLE AS THE CONSUMERS, OPTIONS LIKE POLLUTION, PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE AND EXPLOITATION ARE NOT AS LIKELY TO BE CHOSEN.
Tourism and Recreation
Experiential and Vibrant
Telosa will be a destination location where visitors and future citizens will be able to experience the unique and exciting aspects of Telosa – next generation mobility, innovations in sustainability, a vibrant community, high profile sporting events, virtual reality, the arts, music venues and other entertainment.
Healthy and Active Living for All
A wide variety of engaging indoor and outdoor recreation activities will bring people in the community together and promote better health.
World Class Hotels, Dining and Event Centers
New and unique dining and hotel experiences will be featured prominently in the city. This will include a range of luxury spas, world class restaurants, upscale hotels, conference centers and more.
Major League Sports
Telosa will be a draw for sports enthusiasts with twenty-first century stadiums and venues to attract teams and annual sporting events. Stadiums will interface with lively mixed-used development, engaging the neighborhood to be part of the experience.
Culture, Art and Leisure
Cultural and Economic Development
Telosa will support artists through a comprehensive cultural and economic development strategy including direct funding for temporary and permanent programs and initiatives.
Local Artists
WTelosa will attract and support local artists through flexible zoning that allows for live-work artist housing and workspaces, density bonuses for cultural uses, temporary occupancy permits for pop-up art events and rooftop cultural spaces.
Public Art Installations
Telosa will support public art installations throughout the city. Residents and artists will create these installations in the public realm, with city support to fund the projects selected by the public through the arts and culture committee.
Arts and Cultural Committee
Telosa’s Arts and Cultural Committee will actively engage and partner with existing national museums, music venues, galleries, and other types of cultural institutions to locate a branch in our city.
Technology and Innovation
Invisible, Smart Infrastructure
Real-time city service and travel options informed by a Next Gen Infrastructure Management System will maximize safe, efficient, and affordable management of people, services and vehicles throughout the city.
High Quality and Efficient
The city will utilize the latest technologies to improve service and reduce waste such as 3D printing, AI, advanced monitoring and sensors. Open engagement and communication with citizens will allow the community to anticipate problems before they occur.
Sustainable Materials
Renewable, eco-friendly materials such as timber and sustainably produced steel will be used in the construction of Telosa while later utilizing a circular economy when the city is in operation.
At Your Fingertips – Accessible Information
All of the Telosa apps, information and communications from the city will be provided digitally to all citizens.
Advanced Communication
Advanced communication infrastructure such as high-speed, reliable and secure wireless communications will be affordable and accessible to all and will permeate all aspects of the city.
Incubators and Accelerators
Telosa will support the maker movement through public and private partnerships and innovation districts for a diversity of makerspaces, incubators and accelerator programs in the city.
Mobility
15-Minute Communities
Purposefully designed for easy and safe access to everything the city has to offer within “15-minute” communities by walking, biking, or utilizing autonomous vehicles. People will spend more time connecting in their communities and getting out in the natural environment.
Experiential
Experience the future of transportation in a city built for walking, bicycling, eBikes, autonomous transit, and adventurous traffic-free flights above the city.
Zero Carbon
A city with zero carbon emissions, designed for electric vehicles (EVs) and other renewable energy technologies to better serve the environment.
Vertical Mobility
Vertical mobility is an integral design consideration for rapidly connecting neighborhood areas, mobility station centers, and airports with electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOLS).
Underground Services
A city with separated transportation networks of elevators, drone ports, underground transport and/or other hidden means to facilitate maintenance, deliveries, recycling, and natural resource recovery.
Water, Food, Energy
Water as Gold – Innovative Design
With an ever-increasing drier climate, water is the most precious commodity for Telosa. The city will ensure a diverse and clean water supply by utilizing capture and storage systems as well as blue and green infrastructure into the buildings and public realm.
Water Closing the Loop
Water will be distributed efficiently through smart metering and innovative leak detection approaches. The city will capture and recycle water for multiple uses, minimizing the demand on the regional, natural water sources.
Community-Based Urban Agriculture
Urban agriculture integrated into buildings and open space will provide fresh and accessible produce to all citizens using aeroponic and other high-yield, water-saving technologies.
Easy Access to Healthy Food
City planning will ensure that fresh, affordable and high-quality food is available within walking distance for all the city’s neighborhoods.
Latest Climate-Positive Energy Innovations
Create a distributed, flexible and expandable carbon neutral energy system that utilizes multiple renewable sources and storage technologies capable of providing clean energy to Telosa and the regional grid.
Energy Redundancy
Redundant neighborhood microgrids, supported by an array of sensors and smart meters will offer reliable and resilient energy to the entire city.
Ecology
Urban Design Integration
Flows of water, access to open air and the inclusion of indigenous species will be integrated into the urban design to maintain the environmental integrity of these natural resources.
Maximize Ecological Diversity
Incorporating the variability of natural topography and indigenous ecological habitat systems into the city’s design will contribute to a healthy urban ecology by maximizing the diversity of biological species.
Preservation
The preservation of natural habitats for both plants and animals alike, within the urban footprint, combined with creative landscape design, will invite enjoyment of the natural world by all who live in, and visit.
Everyone has Access
Natural areas will be planned so that all citizens can easily access such areas from their places of home and work to encourage time in the outdoors.
Regenerative Ecological Services
The city will continually strive to minimize its ecological footprint by taking every opportunity to regenerate and supplement the ecological services upon which the city is dependent: water, air, and nutrients.
City Services and Public Safety
High-Quality and Efficient
The city will provide a broad range of integrated and coordinated utility services in key areas including water, waste management, energy, community banking, basic cable, mobile telephony and insurance to ensure high-quality service at a lower cost generating revenues for community reinvestment.
Open and Transparent
Every department within the city government will be open, transparent and subject to outside inspection or audit at any time. All metrics will be collected and published on a regular basis and all meetings will be open to the public.
Trust and Integrity
The city will have a zero-tolerance policy for conflicts of interest, backroom deals and breaches of the public trust.
Equal and Fair Service Levels
Clear expectations and standards will be set for all city programs to ensure all citizen groups have equal service levels including complete, accurate reporting and proactive outreach to traditionally underserved communities.
A Safe Place for All
Safety starts with community and people in partnership with the city. Technology and policies will ensure rapid response to emergencies and anticipation of potential problems.
Governance
Representative City Council
The city will establish a city charter with an elected and representative city council that will approve budgets and capital improvement plans, building trust in the community.
Citizens will Impact Decisions
Participatory budgeting will allow citizens to identify, discuss, and prioritize public spending projects, giving them the power to make real decisions about how money is spent within their own community.
Open and Accessible
All city meetings will be open and accessible. Financials will be presented in complete and plain language allowing for better decision making, planning and accountability.
Secure and Verifiable Elections
E-voting and in-person voting will utilize blockchain and other technologies to execute secure, verifiable and citizen-friendly elections and will increase participation and improve democracy.
Publicly Funded Campaigns
Campaigns for local city offices will be financed through public funds and eliminate all outside contributions.
Jobs and Local Economy
Next Gen Economy
Telosa will focus on urban innovation in key areas including education, mobility, technology, energy, infrastructure, design and material science.
Entrepreneurs
Telosa will invest in entrepreneurs of all categories and sizes to create and grow a vibrant economy. Neighborhood entrepreneurs and high-tech startups will receive the financial, mentoring and community support needed to build new businesses and create jobs.
Ecosystem of Business
Telosa will create a network of businesses including entrepreneurs, small business owners, corporations and anchor tenants to share ideas and connections to promote a vibrant, collaborative business community.
Economics Zones
In partnership with business, Telosa will have special economic zones to create hubs for urban innovation industries such as sustainability technologies, advanced manufacturing, mobility, material science and education/training.
Institute for Entrepreneurship, Apprenticeship, and Innovation
The Institute for Entrepreneurship, Apprenticeship and Innovation will be at the center of our culture of lifelong learning. It will develop and deliver the most advanced training programs available to prepare citizens for jobs of the future, featuring everything from vocational training and apprenticeships to boot camps, retraining and skills upgrading.
Incubators and Accelerators
The Telosa Incubator and Accelerator is a collaboration between the Institute for Entrepreneurship, business partnerships, mentors, local schools and leading academic institutions to create an innovation ecosystem that will launch and nurture new businesses by giving them tools and connections to succeed.
Health and Wellness
Preventive Care
Local health clinics, innovative healthcare technologies, and cutting-edge education on wellness and preventive care will be accessible for all citizens to encourage a healthier lifestyle.
Healthcare Cost Transparency
All clinics, treatments and wellness programs will be publicly listed with associated costs so that citizens can manage their individual health care strategies more effectively.
Early Identification of Health Problems
Advanced telemedicine, remote monitoring technology and digital health records will be used to help ensure health problems that arise can be identified early and acted upon in the most holistic and effective way.
Natural Environments
The city systems will be designed to provide clean air and water that everyone will have access to along with accessibility to natural open-air environments to improve and maintain the overall psychological, and physical health of the residents and visitors.
Culture of Care and Support
The health of our citizens, whether physical or psychological, will be supported and nourished through the city’s design, operations and institutions.
Housing
Fair and Inclusive Zoning
Telosa will support fair and inclusive zoning policies including form-based codes that will support economically and racially diverse neighborhoods fostering greater community through shared experience.
Expand Home Ownership
Telosa will expand home ownership by providing access to lower cost financing and less expensive options to make home purchasing more affordable.
Safe and Sustainable Housing
Telosa will focus on creating safe and environmentally sustainable housing at affordable prices for all income levels. Mixed-income housing will bring people of different backgrounds together.
Enable Diversity and Innovation
Sustainable urban design will enable diversity and innovation in architecture, aesthetics and choices creating engaging, vibrant communities.
Education
Collaboration
A School Leadership Team will be established with teachers, students, parents, school administrators and community partners to continuously assess, update and create educational opportunities that best meet the needs of future graduates for employment.
Expanded Educational Opportunities
Residents will have a range of educational opportunities available to provide skills to secure better employment including community college, the university, apprenticeships, trade schools and/or certificate programs.
Future Leaders
Create and shape future leaders by offering a curriculum that teaches the important skills of critical thinking and collaboration while engaging students with citizens, business, and local government to address current and future challenges.
High-Quality Teachers
Telosa will invest funds generated from the endowment’s land leases toward building a world-class education system with cutting-edge technology, ensuring every student has access to high-quality, top certified teachers, resources, smaller class sizes and expanded learning time.
Student and Teacher-Driven City
Telosa will prioritize education to be more child-centered, customized, robust, diverse and exciting. Teachers will be well paid, live close to where they work, have access to better resources and technology and an open dialogue with parents and the community to ensure that students are reaching their full potential.
Diversity and Inclusion
Honor and Respect
Telosa will value individual uniqueness and ensure fair representation across cultures, ethnicity, race, gender, and age across the city.
Level Playing Field
City government will advocate for policies, regulations and incentives that ensure equal access and opportunities while eliminating discrimination and biases in jobs and organizations.
DEI Department / DEI Advisory Committee
Telosa will have a senior level DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) Department and DEI Advisory Committee to promote, assess and implement goals in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Facilitate Participation
Telosa will facilitate participation from a broader, more diverse population on city advisory boards, commissions, and committees by providing stipends, child care and transportation to meetings based on need.
Community
City Ambassador Program
From day one, Telosa will welcome and include citizens in all aspects of city life through an established city ambassador program designed to listen, strengthen, and engage residents in shaping the future of the city.
Equal Opportunity
We will ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to access all services that Telosa has to offer by establishing a high level Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Department in the city.
Public Spaces
Telosa will provide ample public spaces in city design and development for community members to come together and build relationships to improve well-being, foster feelings of safety and security, and increase participation in community affairs and civic responsibility.
Community Engagement
The city will organize events and activities through a city department that focuses on fostering a better sense of community engagement through cultural activities, holiday celebrations and local events.
