Imagine a city that was once envisioned as a sprawling metropolis, a northern alternative to Los Angeles, designed to accommodate over 400,000 people. Now, picture miles of empty roads, abandoned lots, and a mere 14,000 residents.
Welcome to California City, the third-largest city in the Golden State by land area, but a far cry from the thriving community it was meant to be. Learn about the fascinating history of this forgotten wasteland and find out the reasons behind its unfulfilled promise.
A Grand Vision
Back in 1958, real estate developer and sociology professor Nat Mendelsohn had a grand vision for California City. He purchased a staggering 82,000 acres of land in the Mojave Desert, with plans to create a master-planned community that could rival Los Angeles.(ref)
The city was meticulously designed by architects Smith and Williams, complete with a central park, a manmade lake, golf courses, and even a four-story Holiday Inn. Mendelsohn believed that California City would be the answer to the post-war population boom, offering a new home for hundreds of thousands of people.
The original plan for California City took about a year to design, including details as specific as the types of trees in the park and the colors of road signs. Mendelsohn’s company spent millions of dollars to find water, eventually locating an aquifer under the western side of the city where they paved roads and built out water infrastructure for housing.
The Reality
Despite the ambitious plans and aggressive marketing, California City never quite lived up to its potential. The city was incorporated in 1965, but by then, it only had 817 residents and 232 homes.(ref)
The promised aquifer turned out to be less abundant than initially claimed, and the harsh desert conditions made it difficult to attract new residents. As a result, much of the city remains undeveloped, with miles of paved roads leading to empty cul-de-sacs and vacant lots.
In the 1970s, over 50,000 lots had been sold, but the market dried up. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a “cease and desist” against the California City Development Company for misleading advertising, with charges including that the company was geared towards selling land rather than providing training, and that advertised improvements didn’t exist.
The company was required to invest $16 million in long-promised infrastructure developments as part of a settlement reached in 1977.
A Unique Landscape
Today, California City is a sight to behold. The sprawling network of roads carved into the desert creates an almost surreal landscape.
Street signs bearing names like Rutgers Road and Aristotle Drive stand among the creosote bushes, serving as a reminder of the city’s unrealized potential. The few residents who call California City home are primarily employed at nearby Edwards Air Force Base or the California City Correctional Center.
One of California City’s greatest achievements was the construction of its Central Park, complete with an artificial lake, waterfall, and soft green grass growing in the desert. For the park’s opening, Mendelsohn flew over the lake in a helicopter and dropped 10 gallons of water from New York City’s Central Park in a symbolic gesture.
The park was a proof of concept, demonstrating that with enough money and effort, it was possible to reshape the desert into a green paradise.
Lessons Learned
The story of California City serves as a cautionary tale for urban planners and developers. It highlights the importance of considering factors beyond mere ambition when creating new communities. Water availability, infrastructure, and the ability to attract residents and businesses are all crucial elements that can make or break a city’s success.
Planning for decline requires a different approach than planning for growth, focusing on land and building reuse, changing economic bases, and adapting to reduced revenues. Alternative models like smart decline and resilience frameworks are emerging, offering cities the flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances.
California City may not have become the thriving metropolis it was intended to be, but it remains a fascinating piece of California’s history.
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Nancy Maffia
Nancy received a bachelor’s in biology from Elmira College and a master’s degree in horticulture and communications from the University of Kentucky. Worked in plant taxonomy at the University of Florida and the L. H. Bailey Hortorium at Cornell University, and wrote and edited gardening books at Rodale Press in Emmaus, PA. Her interests are plant identification, gardening, hiking, and reading.
