A group of Silicon Valley investors, who made headlines by acquiring approximately $800 million worth of land outside San Francisco, has revealed their unique vision for a new city with a nostalgic twist.
Jan Sramek, the founder and CEO of California Forever, shared insights into their project, stating, “We believe there’s immense wisdom in how cities and towns were constructed over the past thousands of years in certain places. So, from the very outset, our philosophy has been to embrace the past as we forge ahead.”
This ambitious undertaking was financed by a consortium of prominent tech figures, including Marc Andreessen, Laurene Powell Jobs, Michael Moritz of Sequoia Capital, and Reid Hoffman, the co-founder of LinkedIn. Their collaborative venture, known as Flannery Associates, acquired approximately 52,000 acres of farmland surrounding Travis Air Force Base in Solano County, located northeast of the Bay Area.
Sramek emphasized that their plans are rooted in a vision that draws inspiration from the classic American neighborhoods of a bygone era. He explained, “The proposals we’re working on will pay homage to the timeless charm of the neighborhoods that individuals born a century ago would recognize. We are distinct from other attempts to create futuristic cities, often driven by the architectural visions of star designers. Our objective is to construct a city reminiscent of days gone by.”
Central to their vision is the concept of row houses, a housing style that Sramek considers one of the most underappreciated building types. He highlighted their practicality, affordability, and the potential for small construction firms to undertake their construction. These row houses could offer single-family dwellings with yards, fostering a sense of community.
However, not everyone shares the enthusiasm for this endeavor. Fairfield Mayor Catherine Moy expressed concerns about developing on California’s dwindling agricultural land, deeming it an unfavorable idea.
Moy suggested an alternative approach, proposing that these billionaires direct their substantial resources towards Silicon Valley, where they could invest in constructing low-income, high-rise apartments to enable their employees to work and reside within the same area.
The concept of tech moguls crafting their utopian “smart cities” is not new in Silicon Valley. Visionaries like Bill Gates and Elon Musk have long harbored ambitions of creating tech-centric urban paradises for their residents. Elon Musk, for instance, recently acquired 3,500 acres of land near Austin, Texas, with plans to develop a town called “Snailbrook” for his company’s employees.
However, these ambitious projects have faced scrutiny, with some residents expressing doubts about their sustainability and overall vision. Critics like Chap Ambrose, a computer programmer living near existing Boring Company and SpaceX developments in Bastrop County, have raised concerns about the impact on the environment and shared resources, urging Musk to be a responsible neighbor and steward of the environment.