Quartzsite as Emergent System

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As an emergent system, Quartzsite has its own life cycle outside of its individual members. As an organism, Quartzsite develops over time. It grows, evolves and learns. It draws in new members and infuses them with a collective memory.

The relationship of the individual and the collective becomes apparent at Quartzsite. Although the RV might appear to be an ultimate manifestation of American individualism, RV’ers generally see themselves as part of a community. After all Quartzsite is the largest gathering of RV’ers in the nation, assembled purely by the desire to collect together on publicly shared property.

During the winter months, Quartzsite makes a radical break with the surrounding emptiness. Although it rejects vertical density and permanence, Quartzsite proposes a new kind of super-dense sprawl, achieving a remarkable horizontal density as RV is parked next to RV.

At the same time, the notion of community is rewritten at Quartzsite. The average RV’er does not participate in any governance, choosing to let the “gated community” of the trailer park management act for the group. Community, as a shared experience, exists even though any larger idea of public participation is lacking.

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