05-28-2026IMPACT COUNCIL

The power of live, work, play communities is human connection

What if your city is the experience?

[Photo: Getty Images]

The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of top leaders and experts who pay dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership, and more.

Human connectivity is core to the design of thriving live, work, play communities, where the blending of physical, digital, and live engagement offers meaningful personalization. Mixed-use districts continue to gain momentum as they reshape our cities: housing connects opportunity, workplace connects innovation, recreation connects wellness, and mobility connects access.

In the 1960s, Walt Disney (the man) sought to address fractures in American society and create “a living blueprint for tomorrow.” Walt’s vision for the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, known as EPCOT, was to create a real city (not a theme park). His vision was to do so through an ecosystem of residential, commercial, and recreation interconnected through multi-mobility, transportation, and walkability.

His words are shared in The Official Walt Disney Quote Book: “EPCOT will take its cue from the new ideas and new technologies that are now emerging from the creative centers of American industry.” Walt passed away in 1966 before his vision of EPCOT was realized, but he stated his ambition, “Everything in EPCOT will be dedicated to the happiness of the people who work, live, and play here.” While........

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