Srila Prabhupada on Modernization and Skyscraper in Vrindavana

So this Krishna consciousness movement is trying to revive the original, constitutional position. So one of them, in Krishna consciousness movement, is village organization, as you are trying here. Krishna, in His natural life, is a village boy in Vrindāvana. VRINDĀVANA IS A VILLAGE. THERE IS NO FACTORY, THERE IS NO MOTORCAR, THERE IS NO BIG, BIG SKYSCRAPER BUILDINGS; IT IS VILLAGE. That Krishna likes. In the śāstra it is said, vrindāvanaṁ parityajya sa kvacin naiva gacchati [Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta 1.5.461]. Krishna is so fond of that Vrindāvana village life, with His cowherd boys and cowherd girls, gopīs, mother Yaśodā, father Nanda, and Upananda, uncles, and big family, the cows and the calves, the trees, the Yamunā River. He is satisfied in that life. SO AT LEAST THOSE WHO ARE KRISHNA CONSCIOUS, THEY SHOULD BE SATISFIED WITH SIMPLE LIFE IN THE VILLAGE. That is part of Krishna consciousness.
(Srila Prabhupada at Evening Lecture at Gītā-Nagarī Farm – July 16, 1976, Port Royal)

THE BASIC PRINCIPLE OF OUR LIFE IN VRINDABAN WILL BE COW KEEPING. If we can keep cows sufficiently and grow our necessary foodstuffs, then we shall show a new way of life to your countrymen . . . completely spiritual life in healthy atmosphere in divine consciousness. And you will have ample opportunity to educate children and write books for them because there is sufficient matter for publishing such books from the Puranas, Mahabharata, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and many other allied literatures. There are thousands of ideal historical events, which if we can put with suitable pictures, it will be a great idea and people will like to have such literature.(Letter to Satyabhama, 30th March, 1969)

VRINDABAN DOES NOT REQUIRE TO BE MODERNIZED BECAUSE KRISHNA'S VRINDABAN IS TRANSCENDENTAL VILLAGE. They completely depend on nature's beauty and nature's protection. The community in which Krishna preferred to belong was Vaisya community, because Nanda Maharaja happened to be a Vaisya king, or landholder, and his main business was cow protection. It is understood that he had 900,000 cows and Krishna and Balarama used to take charge of them, along with His many cowherd boy friends, and every day, in the morning He used to go out with His friends and cows into the pasturing grounds. SO, IF YOU SERIOUSLY WANT TO CONVERT THIS NEW SPOT AS NEW VRINDABAN, I SHALL ADVISE YOU NOT TO MAKE IT VERY MUCH MODERNIZED. But as you are American boys, you must make it just suitable to your minimum needs. NOT TO MAKE IT TOO MUCH LUXURIOUS AS GENERALLY EUROPEANS AND AMERICANS ARE ACCUSTOMED. BETTER TO LIVE THERE WITHOUT MODERN AMENITIES. But to live a natural healthy life for executing Krishna Consciousness. It may be an ideal village where the residents will have plain living and high thinking. For plain living we must have sufficient land for raising crops and pasturing grounds for the cows. If there is sufficient grains and production of milk, then the whole economic problem is solved.

(Letter to: Hayagriva  --  Montreal 14 June, 1968)