A group of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs has decided to build a student campus-like utopian town called Esmeralda, 90 miles north of San Francisco. At the moment, they’re in the process of buying 267 acres of land near Cloverdale in Sonoma County.
Dubbed “a new village for families building the future,” the project would include a flagship hotel, spa, restaurants, and affordable and luxurious housing.
This is not the first project of this type. A year ago, we heard about “Neighborhood NYC” in Brooklyn, which is set to cluster “high-agency, emotionally intelligent New Yorkers within walking distance of one another.” It was inspired by a similar initiative in San Francisco that started in the summer of 2022.
And then there is (or was) the “East Solano Plan” by California Forever with the aim of building a walkable city of up to 400,000 people in the San Francisco Bay Area. However, for now, the project has been paused to evaluate its environmental impact, among other concerns.
In its FAQ, Project Esmeralda clearly states that it is not part of California Forever. According to the vision, this should be an open community that harmonizes with nature, cultivates a culture of lifelong learning, and promotes health and wellness.
At least for now, Esmeralda seems to have the necessary local support. This isn’t a big surprise since Cloverdale has a structural budget deficit of around $1 million and would welcome the additional property tax. The project would also create new jobs and hopefully attract even more investment.
However, opponents are afraid that Esmeralda would spell doom for inexpensive housing in Cloverdale. The developers are quick to mention that they have “affordable-by-design” one-bedroom cottages, stacked flats, and below-market-rate housing in their plans.
The investors behind project Esmeralda remain unnamed.
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