A company backed by Silicon Valley billionaires aims to create an eco-friendly city in Solano County, California, but faces local opposition over environmental concerns and land use.
California Forever, led by former Goldman Sachs trader Jan Sramek, plans to build a new city on 60,000 acres of farmland, promising solutions to housing and sustainability issues.
Despite spending millions to gain support, the plan was withdrawn after local opposition and a poll showing 70% voter disapproval.
Critics argue that developing existing communities is a better solution for housing and environmental issues than creating new cities.
Key quote:
“Building housing in existing communities is one of our best climate solutions, and paving over 17,000 acres of non-irrigated farmland is not.”
— Sadie Wilson, director of planning and research, Greenbelt Alliance
Why this matters:
Creating new cities from scratch raises questions about environmental sustainability and resource use. While such projects promise innovation, they often face hurdles in balancing development with ecological preservation and community needs.
Energized by expected windfalls from state and federal climate bills, Silicon Valley's elected leaders, industry experts and activists sounded a hopeful note last weekend as they vowed to accelerate their green initiatives.
America’s first experiment with high-speed rail has become a multi-billion-dollar nightmare. Political compromises created a project so expensive that almost no one knows how it can be built as originally envisioned.
The San Mateo startup Lasso is one of many focusing on fighting climate change, one recyclable item at a time. It aims to be an in-home recycling system that's more efficient while breaking containers down.
