Silicon Valley billionaires are planning to build a whole new city in California. They aim to create a car-free utopian city with good-paying jobs, affordable housing, clean energy, and sustainable infrastructure. However, locals have concerns about mass transit and water access. The challenges of gaining community support and significant financial investment are discussed. The risks of building new cities by billionaires and tech bros, including secrecy and anti-democratic behavior, are explored.
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Quick takeaways
Silicon Valley billionaires are buying up farmland in California to build a futuristic city rivaling existing American cities, but concerns arise over water scarcity and disruption to existing communities.
Building new cities from scratch is a global trend, aiming to address urban challenges, but experts warn about risks such as funding difficulties, changing political dynamics, and failure to deliver promised benefits.
Deep dives
The secretive plan to build a new city in California
A group of billionaires and tech entrepreneurs, including high-profile figures like Michael Moritz and Lorraine Powell Jobs, have been secretly buying up thousands of acres of farmland in Solano County, California. The investors revealed themselves as a group called California Forever and unveiled their plans to build a futuristic, walkable city that aims to rival great American cities. The proposed city would prioritize affordability, clean energy, sustainable infrastructure, and abundant open spaces. However, locals and experts have raised concerns about the feasibility and appropriateness of the project, pointing out the lack of mass transit, water scarcity, and the potential disruption to existing communities.
The global trend of building new cities from scratch
The initiative in California is part of a larger global trend of building new cities from scratch. Around 200 new cities are currently being built in 45 to 50 countries, including projects in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. These new cities are seen as a way to address urban challenges such as congestion, overcrowding, poor infrastructure, and lack of affordable housing. However, researchers and experts warn about the risks and pitfalls associated with such projects, including the difficulty of obtaining sustained funding, changing political dynamics, and the potential failure to deliver promised benefits.
A better solution lies in policy changes and existing urban areas
While the idea of building new cities may seem appealing, experts argue that better solutions can be found through policy changes and investments in existing urban areas. Initiatives to reform zoning regulations and allow for denser housing options can address housing shortages and reduce sprawl. Moreover, there is a need to ensure that the wealthy contribute their fair share of taxes to fund public infrastructure projects. By collectively working towards policy changes and investing in urban areas, it is possible to create more livable, affordable, and sustainable cities without the risks and complications associated with building from scratch.
Silicon Valley billionaires are battling local residents over plans to build a whole new city in California, part of a global trend of wealthy investors dreaming up cities from scratch. The San Francisco Chronicle’s J.K. Dineen and Sarah Moser from McGill’s New Cities Lab explain.
This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King.