Seward's Success, Alaska
Encyclopedia
Seward's Success was an unbuilt planned community
proposed for construction in Point MacKenzie
, north of Anchorage
, Alaska
, United States
. To be built across the Knik Arm
, the megaproject
gained a degree of international notoriety as it was to have been climate-controlled, completely enclosed with a dome
. The community was envisioned to have a build-out of 40,000 residents complete with ample residential, office and commercial space within the dome. Transportation between the community and Anchorage was to have been via aerial tramway and monorail. Originally proposed in 1968, by 1972 the project was canceled. Its name is a play on the saying "Seward's Folly
" in referencing the criticism received by Secretary of State
William H. Seward
upon the Alaskan Purchase in 1867.
at Prudhoe Bay
. The $800 million, four-phase community was to have been developed by Tandy Industries of Tulsa
, Oklahoma
and designed by Adrian Wilson Associates of Los Angeles
. The initial phase was envisioned to provide for a population of 5,000 and contain 600000 square feet (55,741.8 m²) of office space, 300000 square feet (27,870.9 m²) of retail space and an indoor sports arena for an estimated cost of $170 million. The central feature of the office construction was the proposed 20-story Alaskan Petroleum Center, which was to serve a variety of oil and oil service companies. The development was touted as the world's first totally enclosed, climate-controlled community.
Transportation between Seward's Success and downtown Anchorage would be accomplished initially by way of a high-speed aerial tramway
. Subsequently, a monorail
would be built as an additional connection between the town and Anchorage International Airport
. Automobiles would not have been allowed inside the community, and all transportation within Seward's Success was to have been provided by way of the aerial tramway, monorail, bicycle paths
and moving sidewalks
.
The temperature would have been controlled at 68 °F (20 °C) year round. The shell would have been composed of glass
designed to work like a greenhouse
in maintaining the temperature. Energy to power the community would be generated through natural gas
available on-site.
Physical construction of the community would commence in 1970 with the completion of a dock
and several road
s. However, with construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System
delayed due to lawsuits, a group subcontracted by Tandy failed to make the annual lease payment for the 3209 acre (12.99 km²; 5.01 sq mi) where Seward's Success was to have been located. By 1972, the project was officially canceled.
Planned community
A planned community, or planned city, is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are less frequent in planned communities since...
proposed for construction in Point MacKenzie
Point MacKenzie, Alaska
Point MacKenzie is a census-designated place in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States. It is part of the Anchorage, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2000 census the population was 111...
, north of Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. To be built across the Knik Arm
Cook Inlet
Cook Inlet stretches from the Gulf of Alaska to Anchorage in south-central Alaska. Cook Inlet branches into the Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm at its northern end, almost surrounding Anchorage....
, the megaproject
Megaproject
A megaproject is an extremely large-scale investment project. Megaprojects are typically defined as costing more than US$1 billion and attracting a lot of public attention because of substantial impacts on communities, environment, and budgets. Megaprojects can also be defined as "initiatives that...
gained a degree of international notoriety as it was to have been climate-controlled, completely enclosed with a dome
Dome
A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
. The community was envisioned to have a build-out of 40,000 residents complete with ample residential, office and commercial space within the dome. Transportation between the community and Anchorage was to have been via aerial tramway and monorail. Originally proposed in 1968, by 1972 the project was canceled. Its name is a play on the saying "Seward's Folly
Alaska purchase
The Alaska Purchase was the acquisition of the Alaska territory by the United States from Russia in 1867 by a treaty ratified by the Senate. The purchase, made at the initiative of United States Secretary of State William H. Seward, gained of new United States territory...
" in referencing the criticism received by Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
William H. Seward
William H. Seward
William Henry Seward, Sr. was the 12th Governor of New York, United States Senator and the United States Secretary of State under Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson...
upon the Alaskan Purchase in 1867.
History
The plan for constructing Seward's Success developed after the January 1968 discovery of oil reservesPrudhoe Bay oil field
Prudhoe Bay Oil Field is a large oil field on Alaska's North Slope. It is the largest oil field in both the United States and in North America, covering and originally containing approximately of oil.. BP. August 2006...
at Prudhoe Bay
Prudhoe Bay, Alaska
Prudhoe Bay or Sagavanirktok is a census-designated place located in North Slope Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2010 census, the population of the CDP was 2,174 people; however, at any given time several thousand transient workers support the Prudhoe Bay oil field...
. The $800 million, four-phase community was to have been developed by Tandy Industries of Tulsa
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
and designed by Adrian Wilson Associates of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. The initial phase was envisioned to provide for a population of 5,000 and contain 600000 square feet (55,741.8 m²) of office space, 300000 square feet (27,870.9 m²) of retail space and an indoor sports arena for an estimated cost of $170 million. The central feature of the office construction was the proposed 20-story Alaskan Petroleum Center, which was to serve a variety of oil and oil service companies. The development was touted as the world's first totally enclosed, climate-controlled community.
Transportation between Seward's Success and downtown Anchorage would be accomplished initially by way of a high-speed aerial tramway
Aerial tramway
An aerial tramway , cable car , ropeway or aerial tram is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion...
. Subsequently, a monorail
Monorail
A monorail is a rail-based transportation system based on a single rail, which acts as its sole support and its guideway. The term is also used variously to describe the beam of the system, or the vehicles traveling on such a beam or track...
would be built as an additional connection between the town and Anchorage International Airport
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
-Top destinations:-Scheduled cargo airlines:-Top destinations:-Scheduled cargo airlines:-Top destinations:-Scheduled cargo airlines:-Inter-terminal:...
. Automobiles would not have been allowed inside the community, and all transportation within Seward's Success was to have been provided by way of the aerial tramway, monorail, bicycle paths
Segregated cycle facilities
Segregated cycle facilities are marked lanes, tracks, shoulders and paths designated for use by cyclists from which motorised traffic is generally excluded...
and moving sidewalks
Moving walkway
A moving walkway or moving sidewalk is a slow moving conveyor mechanism that transports people, across a horizontal...
.
The temperature would have been controlled at 68 °F (20 °C) year round. The shell would have been composed of glass
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
designed to work like a greenhouse
Greenhouse
A greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...
in maintaining the temperature. Energy to power the community would be generated through natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
available on-site.
Physical construction of the community would commence in 1970 with the completion of a dock
Dock (maritime)
A dock is a human-made structure or group of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships, usually on or close to a shore.However, the exact meaning varies among different variants of the English language...
and several road
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
s. However, with construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System
Trans-Alaska Pipeline System
The Trans Alaska Pipeline System , includes the Trans Alaska Pipeline, 11 pump stations, several hundred miles of feeder pipelines, and the Valdez Marine Terminal. TAPS is one of the world's largest pipeline systems...
delayed due to lawsuits, a group subcontracted by Tandy failed to make the annual lease payment for the 3209 acre (12.99 km²; 5.01 sq mi) where Seward's Success was to have been located. By 1972, the project was officially canceled.
See also
- Knik Arm BridgeKnik Arm BridgeThe Knik Arm Bridge is a controversial proposed highway crossing of the Knik Arm portion of Cook Inlet, north of Anchorage, Alaska. The project has also been referred to as "Don Young's Way", after Alaskan Congressman Don Young who strongly supported the project when he was Chair of the House...
- Controversial proposed bridge to cross the Knik Arm between Anchorage and the proposed location of Seward's Success. - ArcologyArcologyArcology, a portmanteau of the words "architecture" and "ecology", is a set of architectural design principles aimed toward the design of enormous habitats of extremely high human population density. These largely hypothetical structures would contain a variety of residential, commercial, and...