Billionaire-Supported California City: Map & Development Details Unveiled
TL/DR –
California Forever, backed by Silicon Valley, plans to build a new city on farmland between Sacramento and San Francisco. The development could house up to 400,000 people and create at least 15,000 jobs, but requires approval from county voters due to protections against turning farmland into urban space. Critics argue that existing cities could benefit from such investment, and question the feasibility of the project due to potential issues with infrastructure and the environment.
Plans for New City on California Farmland Revealed by Silicon Valley-backed Initiative
SAN FRANCISCO – A Silicon Valley-supported campaign, California Forever, has publicized more details about its proposal for building a new city on farmland situated between Sacramento and San Francisco. The ballot initiative is being prepared for qualification in the November election.
California Forever, a company that quietly acquired over 75 square kilometers of Solano County land, envisions a new community between Travis Air Force Base and the city of Rio Vista. The proposed development could house up to 400,000 people, starting with nearly 20,000 homes for 50,000 residents, provided it creates a minimum of 15,000 above-average wage jobs.
However, this plan needs approval from the county voters due to safeguards against converting farmland into urban space. The project backers, including Jan Sramek, California Forever’s CEO, are resorting to a ballot initiative to gain approval. They need to garner approximately 13,000 signatures from county voters for its placement on the November ballot.
With a housing shortage in California and the San Francisco Bay Area, there’s a demand for affordable homes for municipal workers. Solano County, positioned between the Bay Area and the state’s capital, is an appealing spot for companies in military contracting, agriculture technology, and construction tech, according to Gabriel Metcalf, planning head for California Forever.
Despite these potential benefits, critics argue that existing cities like Vallejo and Fairfield could benefit from Silicon Valley’s investment. The project’s backers, including Laurene Powell Jobs, Reid Hoffman, and Marc Andreessen, face skepticism from opponents who see the proposal as impractical due to the location’s environmental and infrastructural challenges.
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