HOLLYWOOD SUN-TATTLER
Wednesday, June 13, 1979; p. 1B

ENVIRONMENTALISTS PUT CITY OF FUTURE ON DISPLAY AT THE DISCOVERY CENTER
by Alisa Hagan
Sun-Tattler Staff


Jacque Fresco is a patient man. He has to be, he's the personification of an extremely slow moving phenomenon: change.

Forty years ago, the 63-year-old Miami resident and president of Sociocyberneering Inc., began lecturing at universities and to governmental agencies on environmental problems and solutions.

Audiences usually listened attentively, murmured how interesting it was and promptly forgot Fresco's warning. Those reactions have generally been the story of his life.


FRESCO AND his 250-member organization are not yet silent. They donate hours each week to research projects and draw blueprints of model cities, transit systems, airplanes and any other area or civilized life needing improvement.

An exhibit of their "practical designs and concepts for the future" is on display through Friday at the Discovery Center 231 SW Second Ave., Ft. Lauderdale.

One or the more spectacular designs is of a future city, consisting of multi-story dwellings arranged in a perfect circle around a downtown area.


"THERE WILL be no traffic, it's all going to be run on a conveyor belt system," Fresco said.

"Cities have got to be self-contained. There can't be any automobiles. Automobile manufacturers aren't going to like that but people are asking how to save energy and this is how."

Fresco has other ideas on saving energy. For that reason, he dreams of building a museum of the future to visually display concepts.


WHATEVER THE future holds Fresco believes change will come through effective use of science and technology.

Both "have been abusive in the past," Fresco said. "Technology is neither good or bad, it just depends on how it's used. We use cumulative knowledge of people to enhance life."

"The U.S. isn't changing enough," he continued. "Cars they showed in the 1927 World's Fair are similar to ones we have today. I hope we don't wait until a disaster happens to change. We can't just let it roll, we've got to start planning."