Invest Like The Best
Episode 413 How To Create A New Town
Invest Like The Best

Episode 413: How To Create A New Town

Invest Like The Best

Episode 413

How To Create A New Town

Devon Zuegel is the founder and President of the Esmeralda Institute. We cover how Esmeralda is building a new blueprint for community living, the funding challenges that mean we don't see many new towns built, and how spaces and environments impact the way we live, think, and interact.

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(00:00:00) Learn About Ramp, Ridgeline & AlphaSense

(00:06:00) The Origin of Devon's Obsession with Places

(00:08:07) Proximity and Cost of Space

(00:10:02) The Chautauqua Inspiration

(00:11:31) Building a New Town: Esmeralda

(00:13:23) Urban Design and Street Importance

(00:15:44) Community Values and Peer-to-Peer Learning

(00:18:15) Edge Esmeralda: A Prototype Community

(00:21:38) Challenges and Trust Building in Development

(00:26:45) The Role of Cars in Urban Planning

(00:31:10) Mortgages and Taxes: Shaping Communities

(00:42:11) Devon's Journey: From Stanford Review to Esmeralda

(00:43:41) Tools for Thought and Feedback Loops

(00:46:33) Urban Design and Pop-Up Villages

(00:50:06) Exploring Las Catalinas and Car-Free Living

(00:52:31) Placemaking and Organic City Development

(00:56:25) Frontier Camp and Creating Collaborative Spaces

(01:02:39) Building New Towns: Financial and Infrastructure Challenges

(01:12:05) The Kindest Thing Anyone Has Done For Devon

How To Create A New Town

Introduction

Patrick
My guest today is Devon Zuegel. Devon is the founder and President of the Esmeralda Institute, and she is creating a new town called Esmeralda in California Wine Country. Learning of Devon and her plan, I couldn't help but wonder why there aren't more people building new towns. She shares the origin story of her project, a modern reinvention of the Chautauqua community she cherished growing up, and we explore her fascinating work building communities and reimagining how we live together.

We discuss how environments fundamentally shape human behavior, how cost of space impacts creativity, the financial challenges of town building despite their potential for strong returns, and the plans in place for Esmeralda. Please enjoy this fascinating conversation with Devon Zuegel.

Creating Perfect Places

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