Here I describe my Philosophy of Integral Identity, also called Integrity, which seeks to enlighten everyone about each individual's interconnectedness to the rest of society, to history, to all of life on Earth, and to the entirety of the universe.  By cultivating a sense of integrated identity, we develop not only integrity as personal wholeness, but also integrity as moral virtue.

— Robert Stuart Turner  

     I am promoting a philosophy I call "Integrity" after the idea of integral identity.  This is a new way of looking at ourselves that combines several levels of personal identity, from the physical sense of connection to our bodies, through identifying ourselves with our mental states, to seeing each one of us as the whole historical pageant of human culture becoming aware of itself as an evolving organic being.  Beyond even that advanced state of ego identity, the enlightened state of seeing the interconnectedness of all forms and phenomena in the world and the universe can bring to the mind of a person an identification with the whole complex ecosystem of life on Earth, with the entire tree of life, with all of the integrated biogeographical and geophysical systems of Earth, and even with the universe as a whole.

     In an enlightened individual with an integrated identity, all these levels of identity coexist simultaneously and harmoniously.  In fact, to see oneself in this coherent way, is to engender a sense of familial connectedness with all living beings on the planet, so that it becomes imperative to protect the environment that sustains us, and to act with compassionate concern for the welfare and quality of experience of every sentient creature.  It is this moral concern and mindful awareness that makes a person act with distinctive virtue in all of his or her actions.  Thus, a person with a sense of integrated identity is a person of integrity.

     Part of my plan is to create a non-profit organization to produce educational material of all sorts that will help to elucidate humanity's place in the stream of natural phenomena that is the universal flow of complex interactivity through time. I want to be part of the search for solutions to living wisely on this planet, living in a way that not only sustains the ecosystem upon which we and our planetary brethren depend, but also improves the quality of existence for all life on Earth. Some of these projects are listed in the section below.  I call this organization Enlighten the World.

Right Click on the image below and click play. 


Enlightentheworld.org isn't up and running yet,
but will be someday soon.  Meanwhile,
for more information you can contact me at robertsturner52@gmail.com,
or leave a voice message at 559-325-4259.

Plan of Action

     This website is just the beginning of several projects with which to engage the public.  With the Seven Laws of the Great View as the centerpiece of a new interactive website, I want to gather together everyone's ideas about where are the most scenic views in the world, with photographs, descriptions, maps, and guidance on how to get there.  I hope to get that site up and growing by 2018.

     Later this year I will be organizing an architectural crowdsourcing event, perhaps even a competition, to visualize, plan the details for, and graphically present in a public exhibition a plan to enliven downtown Fresno with Project Fulton Green, a megastructure that will connect the blank sides of three historic buildings along the south side of the Fulton Mall — the Mattei, Helm, and Bank of Italy buildings.  See the box beside the map below for more details on that plan.

     Later, I will be creating a virtual gathering place for talent to work on a new set of educational material to instruct the world on important scientific ideas and how they came about historically in human culture.  This material will include a series of long-form documentary videos in the mold of Jacob Bronowski's The Ascent of Man, which I consider the best of the genre.

     And there are other projects, like the fractal minipark, a vest pocket park in the downtown between tall buildings, where one wall of the park is a gargantuan and exquisitely detailed rendering of the Julia set fractal.  There are so many creative and beneficial projects that can serve to develop and enhance our spirit as we move on into the third millennium.  If you agree, come join with me. 

Saving the Fulton Mall

     Fresno has an architectural treasure in a downtown stretch of several blocks that until recently was the second pedestrian mall built in America. Even as it was built in the early 1960s, businesses were beginning to see the potential of being located out where the new neighborhoods of the fast growing city were being built.  The first signs of this expansion away from downtown were the McDonald's on Blackstone near Shields and the Manchester Mall.

     Since many considered the Fulton Mall to be at fault for the depression of the downtown business scene, they believed that returning cars to the blocks once set aside for pedestrians will somehow restore the excitement of a thriving commerce to this area.  They couldn't be more wrong.  What, after all, is a thriving space like Fashion Fair or River Park.  They succeed not because cars can drive down their centers along the storefronts, but because people like to walk the main corridor after getting out of their cars.  Unfortunately, work is underway to build a street down the corridor, and the beautiful and historic pedestrian mall is no more.

     What the Fulton Corridor and downtown Fresno need is a destination that brings people to that stretch of beautiful old buildings at all hours throughout the day, a destination that takes advantage of the historical character as well as the potential for growth by being right next to the high-speed rail station.  By providing free access to the big parking structures and constructing apartments and condos in the heart of the city, people who love city life can work and meet all of their daily needs within walking distance of where they live.

     That's where the Fulton Green Project comes in.  The center blocks of the former Fulton Mall have enormous architectural and urban planning potential.  Centered on the Mariposa Street axis that passes through the Courthouse and City Hall, and with several historic buildings to grace its space, this part of the city will only become more valuable for special development once the high-speed rail station is built only one-block away on the same axis.

     The two-block stretch on the southwest side of the corridor between Fresno and Tulare Streets is the ideal location for a visionary developer to invest in a multistory residential, commercial, and recreational complex — with a park on top — filling the space between the historic Mattei, Helm, and Bank of Italy Buildings, and built using green sustainable architecture.

       Such a structure wouldn't be like an office building, where ordinarily one has to have business in order to enter the building.  This would be public space, a shopping mall in three dimensions, with homes in the mix.  There would be a grocery store or two, laundromat and dry cleaning, a barber, a health club, and other useful businesses for residents.  There would also be destination businesses — restaurants and bars on the upper stories with views of the city,  a dance club, a game arcade, art galleries, and specialty stores.  The interior would be characterized by spaciousness, not narrow corridors and hallways, with large central spaces to serve as focal points for social activity.  Crowning it all, there would be the Fresno Sky Park on top, where everyone can enjoy the view and kids can come to fly kites.

     Holding on to the pedestrian character of the Mall would have made such a project even more desirable.  Alas, that chance is over.  But the potential of the site remains.  Whoever builds such a complex will both kick-start and be in a position to capitalize on the inevitable downtown renaissance of our city of Fresno.

     Right now there is no detailed architectural plan.  However, I hope to impart this vision to the next generation of architects and planners by holding an competition for students to give substance to the idea, showcasing their work in an downtown exhibition next year.  I can't do this alone.  If you share this vision, get in contact with me.  We can make this happen. 

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