Today, Explained New Dork City
Oct 26, 2023
J.K. Dineen, a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle specializing in housing, and Sarah Moser, an urban geography professor at McGill, dive into the clash between Silicon Valley billionaires and local residents over a proposed new city in California. They discuss the tech-centric dreams of building a sustainable utopia on farmland, versus community concerns about infrastructure and sprawl. The conversation extends to the impact of billionaires on urban development globally and the pressing need for effective policies to address America's housing crisis.
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Mysterious Land Grab
- Mysterious investors bought Solano County farmland well above market value, baffling locals.
- These investors, including Silicon Valley billionaires, aimed to build a utopian city.
Utopian Vision
- The investors, revealed to be tech billionaires, plan a utopian city with walkable streets and open spaces.
- Ironically, their vision, depicted in AI-generated renderings, omits cars but includes a one-footed cyclist.
Local Bafflement
- Locals are baffled by the billionaires' choice to build in a remote, transit-unfriendly area.
- Existing cities in Solano County desire development, but the billionaires chose a rural location.