The link to Mormonism is incredibly tenuous here. It seems that Hall's plans look vaguely like a grid, and so did Joseph Smith's. That's about the limit of the connection.
Well, that and "Utah-based foundation" and "all of the land was either adjacent or close to the birthplace and memorial of Joseph Smith" and it's based on "Plat of the City of Zion."
Also, if you're a Mormon, you probably see some other very Mormon things come through in the description of Mr. Hall. The endeavor itself seems pretty characteristic not only of Mormonism but a whole variety of faith, social, and industrial experiments from the 19th century. California entrepreneurs aren't the first hackers/disrupters. :)
And I think that's the point of the article, really. This isn't a "those crazy/weird Mormons" thing. This is an "Ambitious Guy is Ambitious" and "Humans Be Utopian-ing" thing.
And also a reminder that San Francisco isn't the only place where people are resistant to having the character of the community they live in changed.
I went to novatek before he sold it, and was given a presentation on this project. It didn't seem complete, and there were many things that just didn't make sense. When other people I talked to explained that it was an effort to build a religeous utopia some of the stranger things made a little more sense, but still many of the choices he is making seem arbitrary and odd.
There was the main meeting building with movable floors and walls that were justified by the ability to use it as a chapel, and a gym, and that it could also be sectioned off into individual meeting rooms. The underground monorail system with individual autonomous cars is supposed to be the main transportation... No cars allowed. The size of the living quarters is very small. It's supposed to be all mixed use, with one main boulevard that all the shops are on. Living space would all be on level 2, and gardens on the top floor. Lots of farm area right out back, but communal.
It's odd, but if he's got the money to try it, more power to him.
He's a Mormon and the idea is inspired by Smith's writings though.
Seems like a fairly strong case of resurrecting and updating some of old plans just like if someone wanted to build a Greek city based on some old writings.
(Not a Mormon and don't have any horses in this race, just find the push to distance these plans from Mormonism odd.)
Joseph's plat was not a "plan". It was a record of something he thought he saw. It was specific to a time and a place. The inscription recited in the linked article to "spread this throughout the world" is made contingent upon it actually being reflective of the layout of Zion in the next clause, and was intended for a time when Zion is a real thing.
I want to distance these plans from Mormonism simply because the project has no meaningful relationship to it. There is no problem whatsoever with Hall drawing inspiration from an old document drawn out by Joseph Smith et al, I take no umbrage with that. The issue is the attempt to pretend that it is some realization of Joseph's intent or visions, some significant step forward in the creation of the Zion of scripture (which, for the record, is mostly defined in the Bible).
NewVistas is one man's plan for a city he thinks will work well. He may even believe the plan has some divine sanction over it, which is fine. I wish him luck in his attempts to lawfully build his ideal city.
What I do not wish to see is the false association, the false significance, ascribed to this project, merely based on Hall's assertion that he drew inspiration from a document authored by Smith. It creates the false impression that Mormons will accept this as religiously significant, and they don't and won't, because it isn't.
There's more than one kind of mormon. There are the skeptical types like you and me, and there are the doomsday-prepping Julie Rowe followers, and more.
There is certainly a subgroup of mormons that would see religious significance in him using Joseph's plat of Zion document for the layout.
If he were doing this in Independence MO, then you'd really have something.
The sense I'm getting from what you're saying is that this plan to create a "Zion" is like various Christian groups doing X or Y to hasten the Second Coming of Christ?
Also, if you have a minute, I'd love to hear your understanding of what the real Zion will be. (Honest curiosity.)
Mormon eschatology is pretty thin but the core beliefs are that the people are of "one heart and one mind" and that "there are no poor among them".
Specifically this mean that Zion can only be built from "within" and not by force of arms and an economic system not based on self interest but on "love thy neighbors as thyself".
Early Mormon's made attempts in Kirtland Ohio and Far West Missiouri which mostly failed due to rampant speculation and broader economic panics. Some of the ideas were adopted in Nauvoo, Illinois and later is small communities in Utah by Brigham Young.
Some of these experiments yielded later economic benefits because it allowed the Mormon's to divorce their economic system somewhat from gold (which was I short supply). While trades with non-Mormons would need to be settled with gold trade between Mormons could be settled with script that could be exchanged for goods at the "bishop's storehouse." Tradesmen and famers would sell items to the storehouse and get back script which they could then use to buy finsished good or services.
This created a currency that was functionally backed by finished goods and commodities and was immune to speculation and banking system panics that were common at the time.
A great place to look for a Mormon view on what Zion will be like, at least in principle, is a book called The Enoch Letters written by Neal Maxwell, a LDS apostle. It is written in the style of The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. It a quick read and I found it to be quite interesting.
