The Village Components -- Hexes

The Hex is, for all intents and purposes, the smallest component capable of self-sufficiency. Villages, such as Starfield Valley, are likely to be constructed essentially one living hex at a time (or to develop a construction timeline that has each hex at a different stage of completion until the entire complex has been completed).

In the case of Starfield Valley, there are six living hexes, one reserve hex (the Horse Hex, as this village is also a ranch specializing in breeding, training, and showing Islandic horses, according to the stories in the Starfield Valley Tales), and four petal complexes. It houses about 2,500 residents on a property that is a square mile in area. When completed, it remains in dynamic equilibrium, as there's no provision for expanding it in that location. If the population grows too large, (or threatens to do so), a new property would be purchased and a new village started.

However, there's no law that says village designs can't be developed for essentially infinite expansion, such as in an orbital habitat. I have worked out how the hex plan can be used to build an O'Neill Cylinder in orbit, essentially one hex at a time, in rings. I'll devote a section of this site to that project at a later date.