9. Ridwan City (Bahá'í Retirement Community and Cemetary)
There needs be a place where Bahá'ís in the United States may retired; a retirement community for Bahá'ís in North America. Next to this place should be a Bahá'í Cemetery.
I suggest that land be purchased in a desert area of the American southwest; where land is inexpensive, and the weather is cooperative for those who are aged with infirmaties. The Ridwan Society would be a not-for-profit entity that would buy the land, and establish a retirement community and cemetary. The community would include:
*Mobile homes (for mobile retirees)
*A hospice with a clinic (for those dying)
*An assistend living center (for immobile retirees)
*A House of Worship
*A cemetary
*A Pilgrimage Center
*A very small University
*A Hostel for Youth on their Year of Service
*Vegitable gardens
*Windmills and solar panels
*Flower gardens
*A Visitor's Center
*An apartment building for workers and for visiting Friends
This should be a planned community. The only cars allowed in this community would be small electric cars (like golf-carts). The community would include wind-mills and solar-panels to generate all or most of its power needs. The community would be managed by the Ridwan Society.
My suggestion for the name of the town: "Ridwan City".
Many retired Canadian Bahá'ís would also be invited to retire in this community. It would start out very small, but would grow over time.
The town would include its own vegitable gardens; producing its own fruits and vegitables with mobile retirees volunteering several hours a day in the gardens.
The cemetary would not have grass (grass is a glutton for water), but be similar to cemetaries in Iran (but much more beautiful). The cemetary would include trees and other shrubbery which do not require much water.
Suggested locations (one of the following):
a) North Palm Springs, Calif.
b) Sky Valley, Calif.
c) Mecca, Calif.
d) Twenty-Nine Palms, Calif.
e) Blithe, Calif.
f) Casa Grande, AZ
g) Tucson, AZ
The town itself will become quite famous for the following reasons:
1) The lack of gas-operated cars (forbidden in the town whose streets will be white-concrete and not black asphalt).
2) The beautiful gardens.
3) The self-sufficiency of the town (electricity via wind-mills and solar, vegitable gardens, etc.).
Many magazines and TV shows will do "spots" on the town; exposing millions of Americans and Canadians to the Faith (free advertising).
My suggested area for "Ridwan City" (tentative name) would be in or near North Palm Springs, or Mecca California. The land is very inexpensive. Water is plentiful (from the Colorado River), there is a major airport that has many flights from Canada (Palm Springs Airport). The wind in North Palm Springs is quite strong; making wind-mills productive. The climate is good for retirees. It is not far from a major metropolitan area with 14 million inhabitants (Los Angeles metro area). North Palm Springs is next to Interstate 10: a major freeway going from the L.A. metro center to Phoenix. North Palm Springs is almost deserted of population, because it is exceedingly windy; which is a good thing if you want to power your community via wind-mills (and solar power). Other desert areas should also be considered. A large plot of desert land should be purchased; allowing for significant growth of the city (including the cemetary) into the future to at least 5 miles by 5 miles. It will start out very, very small, like a grain of mustard seed, but grow naturally over time.
Ridwan City should also include a Visitor's Center offering free showings of "The Servant of Glory", tours, and a free vegitarian lunch for visitors.
Also at Ridwan City would be the North American Bahá'í Pilgrimage Center (NABPC).
