The Bay

A Group of Tech Billionaires Want to Build a New City in Solano County

Sep 1, 2023

Erin Griffith from The New York Times talks about tech billionaires wanting to build a new city from scratch in Solano County. They discuss the origins of the plan, the vision for a utopian city, motivations and challenges faced, and Flannery's plans for development.

21:45

Episode guests

Erin Griffith

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Tech billionaires want to build a new city in Solano County to address California's housing crisis.

Local residents and politicians in Solano County have expressed skepticism and concerns about the billionaire-backed project.

Deep dives

The Birth of the Idea

The idea of building a new city in Solano County was first planted in 2017 by Michael Moritz, a venture capitalist at Sequoia Capital, who reached out to potential investors. He connected with Jan Shremak, a former Goldman Sachs trader turned startup founder, and they began pitching the idea of a utopian city with innovative approaches to governance and construction.

Introduction

2min

The Origins of a Billionaire-Backed Plan to Build a New City

2min

The Vision for a Utopian City in Solano County

4min

Tech Billionaires Building a New City

9min

Flannery's Plans for Development in Solano County

3min

Some of the richest, most outspoken investors in the tech world are behind a company that has bought nearly 60,000 acres of mostly farmland in Solano County. They say they want to build a new city from scratch.

But who are they? And why do they want to do this? Erin Griffith with The New York Times explains.

Links:

This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.

Episode transcript

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