The Battle Over California Forever: Can Silicon Valley Billionaires Build a New City from Scratch?

Drawings from California Forever: Aerial view showing a typical block.Photo bySITELAB/Courtesy California Forever

Imagine building a city from the ground up — a place that promises sustainable living, affordable housing, and cutting-edge urban design, all with the backing of some of Silicon Valley’s most influential billionaires. It sounds like a dream, right? However, for California Forever, a company that has been quietly buying up farmland in Solano County, California, since 2018, this dream has sparked more debate and controversy than most could have anticipated.

At the heart of their grand vision lies a simple but massive goal: create a new, eco-friendly city that tackles California’s housing crisis head-on. The company, led by Jan Sramek, a former Goldman Sachs trader, envisions a metropolis where walkable boulevards, renewable energy, and a low-carbon footprint redefine urban living. But as you might expect, not everyone is on board with this ambitious idea.

A Dream of Sustainability and Housing

California Forever’s plan touches on a genuine problem for Californians: housing. With skyrocketing prices and a shortage of new homes, the state has struggled for years to keep up with its growing population. Many are feeling the pinch in the Bay Area, where the median price for a single-family home hovers around $1.4 million. This is where California Forever sees an opportunity. Their proposal promises not just homes but an entirely new way of living — supposedly more sustainable, affordable, and innovative than the state’s existing cities can offer.

The new drawings from California Forever show walkable urban fabric replete with schools, office buildings, and factories.Photo byCalifornia Forever

But before this dream city can break ground, the company must overcome one significant hurdle: Solano County’s orderly growth ordinance, which has kept development in check for 40 years. This ordinance, designed to prevent urban sprawl in places like Los Angeles, restricts growth on unincorporated land. In short, it’s the primary reason Solano County has maintained its rural and agricultural character, and it’s what’s standing in the way of California Forever’s plans. The ordinance sets strict guidelines for new development, including requirements for environmental impact assessments and community consultations, making it a formidable obstacle for California Forever's ambitious project.

Local Resistance: The Rise of Solano Together

Of course, building a city on farmland isn’t going to happen without some pushback. Enter Solano Together, a grassroots coalition of environmentalists, farmers, and residents who are deeply opposed to the project. Their concerns aren’t hard to understand. For one, the land California Forever has purchased includes valuable ecosystems, such as vernal pools and farmland that support local agriculture. In an era of droughts and environmental challenges, converting this land into a bustling metropolis raises serious questions about the impact on water resources and the local environment.

Advocating against the California Forever/East Solano Plan outside a Solano County Board of Supervisors meeting in Fairfield on June, 2024.Photo byMartin do Nascimento/KQED

Solano Together isn’t just a group of disgruntled neighbors; it represents a broad swath of the community that believes in protecting Solano’s way of life. And despite California Forever’s attempts to win over public support—including a multimillion-dollar PR campaign and promises of community benefits like new jobs and housing—the opposition has only grown stronger.

"The people of Solano County are gearing up for the battle against the California Forever billionaires" (May 23, 2024)Photo by@gilduran76 on X

In July 2024, facing increasing resistance and negative polls, California Forever decided to withdraw its proposal from the November ballot. But don’t think for a second that this marks the end of the story. Sramek and his team plan to try again in 2026 after conducting a full environmental impact report to address the community’s concerns.

The Broader Housing Crisis

While the debate over California Forever’s project in Solano County highlights a much larger issue: the state’s housing crisis. California’s population has continued to grow, but its housing supply hasn’t kept pace. Between 2010 and 2020, the state’s population increased by 6.1%, but the number of housing units only grew by 4.7%. That’s left Californians grappling with some of the highest housing costs in the nation. It’s not just about home prices, either — nearly 15% of Solano County households spend more than a third of their income on housing.

'Los Angeles is a microcosm of California’s housing crisis'.Photo byMark J. Terrill/AP Photo

The need for more housing is real, and California Forever is tapping into this demand. However, critics argue that building an entirely new city on farmland might not be the best solution. Many believe that focusing on infill development — the process of developing vacant or underused parcels within existing urban areas — would be a better way to address the crisis. On the other hand, California Forever's project could bring significant economic growth, job opportunities, and innovative urban design to the region, potentially transforming Solano County into a model for sustainable urban development.

A Clash of Visions for Solano’s Future

The tension between California Forever’s futuristic vision and Solano Together’s defense of the region’s agricultural identity is palpable. On the one hand, the prospect of creating a new city from scratch is exciting. California Forever promises innovation: dense multifamily housing, green energy, and a low carbon footprint. Their PR materials even include visions of sports complexes, walkable boulevards, and lagoons—the kind of modern urban utopia that many Bay Area residents might find appealing.

Site proposed for the new city, looking east on McCormack Road.Photo byAleta George

On the other hand, there’s a deep suspicion of billionaires swooping in with big promises. Solano Together argues that local solutions, like investing in the county’s seven existing cities, would better serve the community. After all, California Forever’s land includes 800 acres within the city limits of Rio Vista, a place that’s already expressed interest in development. Why build a new city when you could improve what’s already there?

Even environmental groups, which typically support sustainable development, are wary. They question whether California Forever’s plans are truly sustainable or just another way for the wealthy to make a profit. Building a new city would require massive infrastructure investments—new water, power, and transportation systems—which could exacerbate environmental problems rather than solve them.

Rendering of imagined opportunities for city dwellers to connect with local open space and marshes.Photo bySITELAB urban studio_CMG

Looking Ahead: Will the Dream Become Reality?

As California Forever regroups for another run at the ballot in 2026, the future of their dream city remains to be determined. The company has started hosting public forums and events to understand the community’s needs better. Still, Solano Together isn’t letting its guard down. As one local activist put it, “Money never sleeps,” and the battle for Solano’s future is far from over.

What makes this story so compelling is that it’s about more than just one company’s plans. It’s about the broader questions of how we build cities, address housing shortages, and balance growth with environmental sustainability. California Forever’s vision taps into a real need for change in how we think about urban development. But whether that vision will ever be realized — or whether it will be another failed experiment in urban planning — remains to be seen.

For now, the people of Solano County are left to decide: Is this dream city worth the cost, or is it just another case of big promises with little substance?