At the core of this vision lies a proposed economic framework Lore calls equitism. In this model, land would be owned collectively by the city rather than privately hoarded. Individuals and businesses could own buildings and enterprises, while land value increases would cycle back into public services such as schools, transit, and social programs. Supporters see equitism as a potential antidote to extreme wealth inequality and runaway real estate speculation that plague many modern cities.
I feel like we don’t have a lot of great examples of cities founded by billionaires.. let alone a new city owned by a collective. Do HOAs have a great reputation? I dunno I’m being a skeptic here. Know what builds strong cities? investments in fundamental infrastructure works.
Quote Citation: appalachianmemories.org, “A Billionaire Wants to Reinvent Appalachia with a Utopian City, And the Plan Is Bigger Than Anyone Expected – Echoes of Appalachia”, December 30, 2025, https://appalachianmemories.org/2025/12/30/a-billionaire-wants-to-reinvent-appalachia-with-a-utopian-city-and-the-plan-is-bigger-than-anyone-expected/