Is Telosa a City From Scratch, or Just a Mirage?

Futuristic rendering of Telosa city concept featuring a striking central tower design with a curved structure, surrounded by modern buildings and a desert landscape at sunset.

Renderings of Telosa, the proposed “city of the future” designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), show off dazzling details. It includes a vast wooden mobility hub that looks like a futuristic amphitheater, a sprawling silver sports village, and a skyline punctuated by gleaming timber towers.

First teased on X in 2021, the city is the vision of entrepreneur Marc Lore, who imagines Telosa rising out of the American desert. BIG’s website suggests Nevada, as a utopian model for how we might live, move, and govern.

By 2050, the plan claims, five million people could call it home. The first residents? Supposedly by 2030.

Futuristic urban design featuring a vibrant community street with wooden architecture, greenery, people walking, and drones above.

Telosa’s goal:

“To create a new city in America that sets a global standard for urban living, expands human potential, and becomes a blueprint for future generations.”

A conceptual rendering of Telosa, a proposed futuristic city featuring innovative architecture, green spaces, and advanced transportation systems, amidst a vibrant landscape with people and trees.

Dazzling Concepts and Bold Claims

The latest visuals highlight a circular mobility hub, four stacked tiers of wood ringed by chrome rails where so-called “Ground to Air” vehicles zip by, cars that can glide on wheels, ride the rails, or even take to the skies.

Nearby, the Equitism Tower, a lattice-like timber beacon, anchors the city’s central spine. Elevated institutes, greenery-draped streets, and photovoltaic roofs round out the dream.

Renderings of the proposed city of Telosa, showcasing futuristic wooden buildings with lush greenery, landscaped areas, and people interacting in the dedicated spaces.

The Philosophy is Equitism

At the heart of Telosa is a new economic idea: Equitism. The model suggests land should be owned by the community, with its increasing value funding public services. In theory, this means residents prosper as the city prospers, capitalism with a cooperative twist.

A Step Beyond Renderings

BIG’s Alana Goldweit insists the city will be “built with intention,” citing forums with would-be “pioneer residents.” Telosa’s foundation echoes the mantra of people-first design.

Yet as CEO Jon Mallon admits, many ambitious city projects stumble when they put architecture and tech before community.

A vibrant urban park scene in the proposed city of Telosa, featuring walking paths, a circular mobility hub, and people engaging in various activities amidst lush greenery and futuristic architecture.

A Mirage on the Horizon?

Telosa joins a long list of futuristic city proposals: Malaysia’s BiodiverCity, Saudi Arabia’s Neom, and the ill-fated Akon City in Senegal. These projects dazzle with glossy renderings but often falter under the weight of cost, politics, or reality.