Arcosanti is a self-containe experimental town that began construction in 1970 in central Arizona, 70 miles (110 km) north of Phoenix, at 34°20′34.72″N, 112°06′05.93″W, elevation 3,732 feet (1,130 meters). Architect Paolo Soleri, using a concept he calls arcology (a portmanteau of architecture and ecology), started the town to demonstrate how urban conditions could be improved while minimizing the destructive impact on the earth.