Learning from an Italian resort

CoolTowns have two unlikely sources of inspiration. One is Italy, home of the Renaissance and whose language is based on poetry. The other is the resort, where people escape to live in a place as close to utopia as they can find. Think of road rage, full schedules and late-night worries, then wake up from your nightmare and think of…

Portofino, regarded as Italy’s most beautiful, picturesque and romantic town. No cars, outdoor dining with artistic views, friendly residents and a leisurely pace of life.

Now why can’t we have more places like this for permanent residents? The only thing missing is a resident population that can do two things:
1. Live without a car. Cars require a significant amount of land and prevent the creation of a truly pedestrian-oriented (i.e. human-oriented) atmosphere.
2. Work in an office with less than 50 employees (including satellite offices). None of the buildings in Portofino are large enough for anything beyond this, nor do they want to be.

Realistic? That includes a lot of existing residents in Manhattan… and Portofino.

View a 360 degree panoramic from VR Way.

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neilkt