Boo. I would be online right now, but neighborhood construction seems to have cut phone and cable lines by mistake. At least I still have power and iPhone...
Fwiw, I'm all in favor of ger's ideas for the new community so far.
A central power grid could not only sustain homes but could also power street lights. Outside of the residential area, we could erect buildings more suited for machines (eg. with thicker walls to hide cables, made from different materials) that could be powered by the grid. It's all quite exciting!