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emile.swann @emileswann.bsky.social · 5d

Looking back on this, I think Konza needs to host some of the country's top Universities campuses. This along with labs + tech-transfer offices, steady research funding, and housing/transit for talent could be the key. Innovation hubs grow around universities: e.g. Stanford-Silicon Valley #newcities

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emile.swann @emileswann.bsky.social · 5d

Smart thread. I'd also add: moving capitals rarely fixes the root problems. Jakarta-Nusantra and Egypt's NAC show how water/air issues just migrate unless governance/infrastructure change. Makran adds extra risks: desalination costs, cyclone/tsunami exposure and a tense border. #newcities

emile.swann @emileswann.bsky.social · 5d

The Pearl Necklace plan shows Thailand taking climate threats seriously, smart for a funnel shaped coastline that magnifies sea-level risks. But moving cities to reclaimed islands is complex. The cheaper resilience tools they've considered could work without the massive cost of relocation #newcities

emile.swann @emileswann.bsky.social · 5d

Kazakhstan already shifted its capital from Almaty to Astana to boost central power. So why Alatau now? It’s being cast as a tech/innovation hub with special status and investor perks. But with regional debt and weak funding, this may be ambition outpacing capacity. #newcities

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emile.swann @emileswann.bsky.social · 5d

Sherbo Island feels like Akon City all over again, its all about celebrity hype, futuristic renderings and promises of sustainability. The danger is that these projects just become vanity symbols with litte delivery. Without governance and real investment, it stays as an eco-dream. #newcities

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emile.swann @emileswann.bsky.social · 7d

What strikes me is how much Xiong'an's emptiness contrasts with the story of Shenzhen. Shenzhen thrived on messy experimentation and migration, while Xiong'an is being forced into existence. Can a city really succeed if it's engineered top-down rather than grown organically bottom-up? #newcities

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emile.swann @emileswann.bsky.social · 7d

Telosa's renderings promise sleek towers and green boulevards, but that feels more like branding than reality. If urban utopias start as PR exercises, how do we know they'll ever move past impressive visuals into actual livable streets? A trend I've seen with many #newcities (Akon city....)

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emile.swann @emileswann.bsky.social · 7d

Kenya's gvt sold Konza City as "Africa's Silicon Savannah". A decade on, its mostly just idle servers and empty plots. Tens of thousands of high tech gadgets were found sitting in storage, infrastructure half built. You can buy hardware but not a tech ecosystem. #newcities

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emile.swann @emileswann.bsky.social · 7d

What stands out is the contrast with Tatu City. Konza shows how state-led megaprojects can stall under bureaucracy, while privately built cities sometimes move faster because investors demand progress. Its not just about tech or infrastructure, but also governance models. #newcities

Billions in Idle Tech Undermine Konza Smart City’s Ambitions

Konza Technopolis, is sitting on billions of shillings in idle technology equipment as major infrastructure projects drag on.

kenyanwallstreet.com

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emile.swann @emileswann.bsky.social · 7d

Every rendering of this city that I see look so cool, but I never understood how any of these buildings would actually function. How are you supposed to live in a building where walls bend and curve everywhere, it doesn't seem functional. Would love to know how they plan to hang up decor! #newcities

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emile.swann @emileswann.bsky.social · 7d

Akon's "real life Wakanda" always sounded ambitious, until you remembered there's no vibranium to mine. Cryptocurrency is not a viable replacement! Hype is cheap, city building is hard; probably why its an empty field. Its a symbol of how easily leaders can be seduced by grand visions. #newcities

Con City - Dissent Magazine

If it is actually built, Akon City will be a monument to capital, excess, and waste.

www.dissentmagazine.org

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emile.swann @emileswann.bsky.social · 7d

The plan promises 15K well paid jobs and a $400M home buying fund, but I'm more skeptical. Water demands really explode with scale. Can their water rights and recycling plans truly cover 400K residents in a region where water stress significantly worsens daily?
#newcities

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emile.swann @emileswann.bsky.social · 7d

They also quietly bought ~800M in farmland before going public. Locals say the secretive land grabs fuels distrust more than excitement and I couldn't agree more. Ambitious projects need transparency, not just bold visions!!
#newcities

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emile.swann @emileswann.bsky.social · 7d

Tech elites are pushing a new city in rural California called 'California Forever' which bought 60K+ acres and now propose walkable living & a manufacturing hub. But locals say it feels more like a land grab than community building. #newcities

Tech billionaires want to build a new city in rural California. Voters may get a say on it

California Forever, which bought 60,000 acres, has received fierce opposition from local officials and environmental groups

www.theguardian.com

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emile.swann @emileswann.bsky.social · 7d

The fact Toronto's Sidewalk Labs story is now a stage play says it all. This wasn't just a failed tech project, it became part of the city's identity. #newcities need more than data dashboards, they need communities who feel ownership, or else the public will shut the door.

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emile.swann @emileswann.bsky.social · 7d

What's wild about "network states" is how they blur the line between online tribes and real-world cities. It's one thing to form a Discord community, but actually running courts, taxes and borders? That's a whole different level of #newcities ambition.

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emile.swann @emileswann.bsky.social · 7d

Silicon Valley's new twist on #newcities: "network states", which are cloud communities buying land to form micro-nations. From communes in Montenegro to Balaji's manifesto, it's intriguing and unsettling. Building a city as a startup is easy, its building identity + trust that's the real challenge.

Meet Me in the Eternal City

Silicon Valley has always dreamed of building its own utopias. Who’s ready to move in?

www.theatlantic.com

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emile.swann @emileswann.bsky.social · 7d

In democratic cities, people can veto new city plans. Toronto's Sidewalk Labs proved it as Google's vision collapsed after locals pushed back over privacy and control. #newcities reminder: not all projects fail from money, some fail because the public says no.

A hit show on Toronto’s failed smart city project returns to the stage

The award-winning play, “The Master Plan,” dramatizes the city’s fractured relationship with then-Google subsidiary Sidewalk Labs.

www.smartcitiesdive.com

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emile.swann @emileswann.bsky.social · 9d

So many countries in this region: Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, build on futuristic mega-projects that look impressive but often sit half empty. They often serve power displays more than real urban needs. #newcities

emile.swann @emileswann.bsky.social · 9d

I though of that exact Ye quote too. Why is it suddenly trendy for car brands to branch into city-building? BRABUS? Toyota, even Hyundai are dabbling. Honestly, wouldn't it be better if they just focused on making cleaner, more sustainable cars instead of luxury islands? #newcities

emile.swann @emileswann.bsky.social · 9d

Egypt diverting Nile water for a desert city feels risky. The Nile is a lifeline to many nations, and water scarcity already sparks tensions. With climate stress, I fear projects like this could turn the river into a future flashpoint. #newcities

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emile.swann @emileswann.bsky.social · 9d

I feel like this risks becoming another Rio 2016, huge builds with no long term use. London 2012 showed the opposite: its Olympic Park was repurposed and still thrives. The real question is how Qatar ensures Lusail doesn't empty out now the World Cup is over. #newcities

emile.swann @emileswann.bsky.social · 9d

Really interesting. I have huge doubts about its walkability. In London, and I'm sure its the same in Boston, walkable neighborhoods and tight-knit communities evolved over centuries. It wasn't dropped into the desert overnight. #newcities work best when they grow around people, not just blueprints.

emile.swann @emileswann.bsky.social · 9d

Why does everyone think that money alonge can engineer community? #newcities history show that thriving places grow from messy, incremental layers of culture, governance & trust. Dropping $400B in the desert won't shortcut that. If anything it risks creating an empty framework with 0 social fabric.

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emile.swann @emileswann.bsky.social · 9d

Another example of a bilionaire wanting to drop billions (US$400B) on a desert utopia. His pitch: a 15 min city, green architecture and a new model of "equitism". Sounds inspiring once you realise it's one man's pet project. Telosa feels like a silicon valley savior complex on steroids. #newcities

A billionaire wants to build a utopia in the US desert. Seems like this could go wrong | Jessa Crispin

The architects of the proposed 150,000-acre project are scouting the American south-west. They’re already predicting the first residents can move in by 2030

www.theguardian.com

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