The plan for a new California city

201,189

3,097 0

Published 2024-05-19

A group backed by some of California's richest has purchased some 60,000 acres of farmland in Northern California, as part of an ambitious plan to build a brand-new, walkable city in the nation's most car-centric state, for as many as 400,000 residents. Correspondent Luke Burbank talks with Jan Sramek, a former Goldman Sachs trader-turned-city builder about the "California Forever" initiative, and why the idea is facing some resistance.

"CBS News Sunday Morning" features stories on the arts, music, nature, entertainment, sports, history, science and Americana, and highlights unique human accomplishments and achievements. Check local listings for "CBS News Sunday Morning" broadcast times.

Subscribe to the "CBS News Sunday Morning" YouTube channel: youtube.com/CBSSundayMorning
Get more of "CBS News Sunday Morning": cbsnews.com/sunday-morning/
Follow "CBS News Sunday Morning" on Instagram: instagram.com/cbssundaymorning/
Like "CBS News Sunday Morning" on Facebook: facebook.com/CBSSundayMorning
Follow "CBS News Sunday Morning" on Twitter: twitter.com/CBSSunday
Subscribe to our newsletter: cbsnews.com/newsletters/
Download the CBS News app: www.cbsnews.com/mobile/
Try Paramount+ free: paramountplus.com/?ftag=PPM-05-10aeh8h

For video licensing inquiries, contact: [email protected]

All Comments (21)

@parrotcracker6629 12 days ago

I was skeptical and now even more so after hearing that they tried to sue the landowners who don't want to sell for supposedly "holding out" to increase their land's market value. Ridiculous. If they don't want to sell California Forever is just going to sue them? Is that what I'm hearing? Billionaire suing people who just want to live peaceably farming their land. I was born and raised in the Bay and totally against this.
@jazziered142 14 days ago

I think sueing landowners is disgusting. They have a right to their land, and their home.
@julieb750 14 days ago

How about turning around downtown Los Angeles and spending those billions renovating existing “walkable” neighborhoods. No, instead eat up the farmland and ruin the actual rural areas. Not a good design plan. The West Village and all of the other walkable neighborhoods exist because they are in metropolitan areas and it all feeds off each other. Creating a city in the middle of nowhere just makes it a place you have to still drive to get anywhere else. It will end up being a weekend getaway for rich people.
@yvonneplant9434 14 days ago

Let's fix the cities we already have. Sigh.
@micmac99 13 days ago

California already has several cities built in the middle of nowhere and the rents are getting unsustainably high.
@travislilienthal1514 12 days ago

Fix the cities that need help. Stop taking the farmland
@petergallina1610 13 days ago

That land looks beautiful as is. Maybe just leave it alone.
@moreanimals6889 14 days ago

I don't believe it will be affordable. A. It's in California. Anytime something nice is built, people who need it never get it. Rich people do. B.Land is expensive. That is the number one reason, everything is so expensive. I don't believe it. Rich people are trying to get richer.
@judydorfner5417 13 days ago

Wow...world's largest HOA.
@rockyroad-hq7hz 14 days ago

There's so many dying cities that could use infusion and innovation. Where the land is already there. Without taking natural farmland and migration sanctuary from established protections, or endangered migration species. Just because someone can boost they have a bright ideas. While damaging the eco system.
@skc6675 14 days ago

Nothing new here…I see future urban sprawl. I get we need more housing across the board but developers are critically concerned with their bottom line and this guy is a master at convincing those who will listen he’s doing it “for the better good.”
@heirloomcottagedesigns9063 14 days ago

Sparing no expense and suing people to get their land is two different things!! That’s completely wrong! It’s always the same with billionaires. If we can’t buy it, we’ll just take it!😡
@louiswhite805 14 days ago

Don't sell. Let them redevelop the cities that already exist.
@SolarPowerMyRV 13 days ago

How will they keep it “affordable” without a 30 year waitlist?
@dylanstafforini9861 13 days ago

When a non planning tech elite with no knowledge of logistics and resource allocation and accessibility of the area says “I have a haunch this is a good spot” should tell us all of how much of a bad idea this is.
@Jellybean0009 12 days ago

The 80 is already too congested. This is craziness!
@WynnFX 13 days ago

How about putting some money into revitalizing old cities like Detroit.
@Cyrus992 9 days ago

Forget it! Build one here in Las Vegas!
@zion9860 12 days ago

This project reminds me of Disney's planned city call "celebration" in Florida. The city is celebration is so expensive. Disney too said that it will be an affordable community where the average citizen could afford a house. It's obviously clear that only the rich could afford to live in Celebration, Florida.
@gurujr 13 days ago

If rich people build it don't be surprised it's affordability would only be for the rich as well.