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Billionaire Marc Lore must have been inspired by President Ramaphosa’s speech about smart cities and super trains, as the 50-year-old former president of Walmart is pushing ahead with his plans for an “eco-city of the future.”

Experts are however dubious about the proposed plans to build a utopian city in the middle of the desert with “equal access to health care, excellent schooling and safe environments for families, regardless of income”.

Lore, the co-founder of Jet.com and Diapers.com, aims for Telosa to be a diverse place housing various races, genders, sexual orientations, religions and political affiliations. Sounds a lot like every other city if you ask us.

Telosa’s location is planned to be in the American West Desert or Appalachia, with high hopes to usher in a “reformed type of capitalism that prioritises societal inclusion above divide”. Experts, however, believe there are just too many financial hurdles standing in the way, with one 2014 study arguing that “the ability of eco-cities to achieve their utopian ambitions may be limited by the realities of operating within a profit-driven, entrepreneurial planning environment.”

The name Telosa comes from an ancient Greek word telos, which means “higher purpose.” The idea has been laid out in some pretty computer imagery, and the conceptual art looks like something out of a sci-fi movie, or a Wes Anderson set.

 

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Architectural firm Bjarke Ingels Group has been roped in to help plan the utopia, where everything appears to be fueled by solar power energy, including autonomous electric cars and high-speed public transportation. Lore believes everywhere within the city should be a 15-minute commute. Fossil fuel cars will be prohibited in the city, with an emphasis being placed on ‘walkability’ and the use of scooters, bicycles, and self-driving electric vehicles.

Lore further believes that “50,000 living residents” will be living in the city by 2030, with a total population of 5 million people by 2050. That’s Cape Town’s size, for some perspective.

“I’m not pursuing this to make money,” said Lore, who is also co-owner of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves. “I’m doing this because of what it can mean for others and the future. If this entire attempt doesn’t work, then hopefully, there are things to learn from it and it will inspire others to take their shot.”

The whole idea seems wonderful, but ‘equal access to health care, excellent schooling and safe environments for families, regardless of income’ is an ideal that existing cities are struggling with as it is.

Obstacles are aplenty, but the idea deserves a try.

[source:usatoday]