Structures in Iowa background – My theory

[T J]

Let’s talk about what exactly those huge structures were. One theory I’ve heard is they are mega cities, which is interesting. Perhaps they are atmospheric compensators.

They would be able to make rain, stop tornadoes, and perhaps even stop hurricanes. Who knows what else they could do. What do ya think? Bad idea? Not even close? Any other ideas out there?

 

[Sector 7]

I thought they were part of the shipyard. When we see them, early in the movie, the Enterprise has not yet been built, thus they stand alone.

 

[Ovation]

If they're based on anything current, they should be structures devoted to vertical agriculture.

 

[Corran Horn]

'The Art of the Film' says, I believe, they are giant automated farms of some kind.

 

[Nowhere Man]

Let’s talk about what exactly those huge structures were. One theory I’ve heard is they are mega cities, which is interesting. Perhaps they are atmospheric compensators.

They would be able to make rain, stop tornadoes, and perhaps even stop hurricanes. Who knows what else they could do. What do ya think? Bad idea? Not even close? Any other ideas out there?

There are no huricanes in Iowa, other than that they are probably part of the shipyard as suggested.

 

[T J]

There are no huricanes in Iowa, other than that they are probably part of the shipyard as suggested.

I know there are no hurricanes in Iowa... There could be some in Florida, south Carolina, Japan, ect... anywhere they are needed...

 

[Trekker4747]

Re: Structures in Iowa background – My theory

I always suspected they were arcologies of some sort.

 

[Nerys Myk]

There are no huricanes in Iowa, other than that they are probably part of the shipyard as suggested.

I know there are no hurricanes in Iowa... There could be some in Florida, south Carolina, Japan, ect... anywhere they are needed...

The proper response iis "See, it must be working,"

 

[Myasishchev]

'The Art of the Film' says, I believe, they are giant automated farms of some kind.

Cool.

Better than megacities, which it seems will be a less and less likely future development with the Internet and automation... I don't think we'll ever wind up looking like North Am.

 

[KirkSpockTOSFan]

I thought they were part of the shipyard. When we see them, early in the movie, the Enterprise has not yet been built, thus they stand alone.

That was exactaly what I was thinking too. I kind of figured those structures in the background were to build Starships such as the Enterprise. After watching the movie many times that's what I thought the structures were for. I didnt think they were for any other reason.

 

[Crazy Eddie]

I had assumed they were distant megastructures as part of futuristic Iowa cities. Picture a sky scraper half a mile wide and four miles high; that's probably what it would look like from a distance.

In Chicago, even on a cloudy day you can still see the Sears Tower 20 miles away. The towers we see in Iowa could well be fifty miles from the shipyard and still be visible from the ground.

 

[SilentP]

I thought they were part of the shipyard. When we see them, early in the movie, the Enterprise has not yet been built, thus they stand alone.

That was exactaly what I was thinking too. I kind of figured those structures in the background were to build Starships such as the Enterprise. After watching the movie many times that's what I thought the structures were for. I didnt think they were for any other reason.

Seconded, they could probably be what houses the tractor assemblies to hoist starships off the ground, especially if they build the hull on the ground, and only put in the volatile systems, such as A/M power systems, and such like when the hull is in orbit.

Though I'm not adverse to the idea of automated farms. I'm assuming arcologies is a similar concept?

 

[chicago103]

They are arcology skyscrapers (cities within a single building).

My theory is that they are residential, used for housing for the Riverside Shipyard workers as well as lodging for visiting starfleet personel and for cadets on route to the academy.

Riverside, Iowa today is a small rural community of about 1,000 people. In Kirk's time it is a major industrial community with the shipyards and the Iowa Mining Company quarry. The Star Trek movie novelization states that Kirk himself grew up in a farmhouse and the car chase and bike scenes show there is still plenty of open farm land around and it isnt uniformly urbanized.

Perhaps as a way for the residents of Riverside, Iowa to preserve their small town and rural lifestyles the community commissioned the construction of the arcology outside of the old small town closer to the shipyard so that most of the newcomers to town would live in the skyscrapers and the old town would be preserved, thats why there is still much open land there, the new residential was built vertical instead of sprawling across the landscape.

The shipyards must employ thousands and thousands of workers not to mention all the visitors and these arcologies are full service communities to serve them. I am sure in addition to residential housing and lodging there are grocery stores, retail shops, restaurants, recreational facilites, indoor swimming pools, etc, pretty much everything you would find in a large luxury residential high rise in a big city today and then some.

Pardon me for giving such an in depth response but I am an urban planner and thus I think about such things.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

They are distant enough to sit on or near the horizon in several shots, and are at least several degrees wide. They disappear into the sky.

In other words, they are huge - they would dwarf the shipyard. They would dwarf many cities.

The "automated farm" explanation makes a little sense.

 

[Alrik]

There are no huricanes in Iowa, other than that they are probably part of the shipyard as suggested.

I know there are no hurricanes in Iowa... There could be some in Florida, south Carolina, Japan, ect... anywhere they are needed...

The proper response iis "See, it must be working,"

Freaking perfect answer, says the guy living in Iowa.

 

[Yug]

I thought they were vapor collectors on the moisture farms that litter the arid landscape of Iowatoinne, where young Kirk Skywalker fills his time shooting womprats from his 67 Corvette Land Speeder while going to Tosche Station to pick up some power converters and escaping the responsibilities of his farm life and his overbearing "uncle", dreaming of one day leaving the farm to fight the Romulan Star Empire as part of the Rebel Starfleet. Later in life, stopping at a cantina full of odd characters, and hostile rogues, he meets Obi-Pike Kenobi and sets his sites on an adventurous trek in a war among the stars... as he gazes into the sunset upon the twin nacelles of his destiny.

 

[DEWLine]

Pardon me for giving such an in depth response but I am an urban planner and thus I think about such things.

No worries. You and I may want to talk off-board at length some day about these sorts of things...