Buzz
For centuries, cities have been the embodiment of humanity’s creative spirit, vision, and drive for achievement. They reflect our deep social instincts and our desire to build monumental legacies. Cities like London, Constantinople, Paris, New York, Ancient Rome, and Tokyo stand as stunning examples of human triumph. However, there have been numerous instances where someone’s dream of a better, more efficient, or more extraordinary city ultimately crumbled. These are the ten cities that never materialized – ten cities you will never experience.
10. Dongtan
Only a few months ago, news broke that China’s ambitious project for the eco-friendly city of Dongtan would no longer be realized. Once hailed as the world’s first mega eco-city, it had garnered immense attention and was highly anticipated.
Planned to be twice the size of Manhattan, the site was an island near Shanghai designed to revolutionize human interaction with the environment. The mass migration of people from rural areas to urban centers in China, resulting in increased environmental waste, sparked a movement for more sustainable initiatives, with Dongtan being the most ambitious of them all.
The city was intended to be entirely self-sustaining, generating its own energy from solar, wind, and bio-fuel sources, while recycling waste produced within the city. Public transport would run on clean technologies, such as hydrogen fuel cells, and a sprawling network of walking and cycling paths would significantly reduce vehicle emissions. Additionally, organic farming techniques were planned to be implemented within the city.
It was envisioned as a model of sustainability for the entire globe, but, as with many large-scale projects, challenges and opposition arose. Some critics dismissed it as an unrealistic fantasy, while others argued that China’s rapidly growing cities would undermine any environmental gains Dongtan could offer. When Shanghai’s mayor, who was the project’s strongest advocate, was arrested for property fraud in 2006, the project was further derailed, with permits expiring and enthusiasm fading.
Ultimately, the global financial crisis nearly brought the project to a halt, and the innovative concepts behind it will have to remain on hold for the foreseeable future.
9. Triton City
Buckminster Fuller, a brilliant visionary, scientist, environmentalist, and philosopher, introduced an audacious idea in the 1960s. Known as Triton City, it was planned as a floating utopia capable of housing up to 5,000 people. The immense floating city was designed with the goal of encouraging the sharing of resources and conserving energy.
Fuller was first hired by a wealthy Japanese sponsor to design a floating city for Tokyo Bay. Although he passed away in 1966, remarkably, the United States Department of Urban Development continued to commission Fuller’s designs for further analysis. His plans included making the city resistant to tsunamis, maximizing outdoor living spaces, desalinating the surrounding water for drinking, ensuring privacy for each residence, and employing a tetrahedral shape that would offer the most surface area with minimal volume. The city would include everything from education to entertainment to recreational facilities. Fuller also argued that the city would have low operational costs, thus ensuring a high standard of living.
Eventually, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development forwarded the plans to the U.S. Navy for deeper evaluation. Upon learning of the project, the city of Baltimore expressed interest and requested that Triton City be moored off the shores of Chesapeake Bay. However, as local and federal administrations changed, the project stalled and was ultimately abandoned. Today, though, there are some structures inspired by Triton City, such as the artificial island Kansai and its airport in Osaka, Japan, but they are far less ambitious than Fuller's original vision.
8. Broadacre City
In 1932, Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the most celebrated and influential architects of all time, unveiled Broadacre as a vision for a 'New Town' utopia. It was a hybrid that defied categorization, combining elements of a traditional city while also embracing the agrarian ideals championed by Thomas Jefferson. Essentially, Wright sought to break free from the confines of the congested, industrial cities of the machine age, envisioning something that was far from a rural retreat.
Echoing Jefferson's belief that every citizen should have a 'vine and fig tree', Wright envisioned each resident cultivating their own food on a one-acre plot. A radical idea at the time, this meant people from all social backgrounds would interact more freely than in the rigidly separated urban communities of the day. Centralization, something Wright despised, was to be avoided; the city would sprawl across vast areas, blending homes, factories, offices, and public buildings amidst wide, park-like spaces filled with lawns and trees. Strict cleanliness would be upheld, light industry would be the norm, and all utility wires would be hidden underground.
Despite Wright's vision, there was fierce opposition. His belief that the automobile was 'the advance agent of decentralization' led him to minimize mass transportation, a stance that was highly controversial among urban planners. Wright’s dream was never realized, and the closest representation of it today can be seen in the sprawling suburban neighborhoods that have come to dominate the global landscape.
7. Disney Resorts
While not technically cities, Disney resorts are essentially self-sustaining cities in their own right. The sheer scale of the real estate the company already owns and manages is impressive, yet there are countless projects and concepts that were proposed but never brought to life. It’s fascinating to think about the missed opportunities and what could have been created by the world's largest entertainment empire. Many of these ideas would have made incredible destinations for visitors.
Mythia: A park inspired by Greek and Roman myths, planned to be built near Disneyland. WestCOT: A West Coast version of the EPCOT Center, envisioned for California. Disneyland East: A large park intended to rise on the site of the 1964 World’s Fair in Queens, NY. Port Disney: A California version of Tokyo DisneySea. Disney’s Asian, Venetian, Persian, and Mediterranean resorts: Planned resorts near Disney World. Disney America: A patriotic-themed park proposed for Virginia. Discovery Bay: A land based on the works of Jules Verne, with some elements later incorporated into Disneyland Paris. Beastly Kingdom: A park dedicated to mythical creatures, proposed near Animal Kingdom in Florida.
Dark Kingdom (Shadowlands): A proposed park near Disney World that would have showcased Disney's villainous characters, creating an entirely opposite experience to the Magic Kingdom. Maleficent’s Castle would have stood at the park’s center.
Sci-Fi City: This vast and ambitious park was planned for Tokyo Disneyland, featuring an array of science fiction-themed attractions. Had it been built, it would have become the most expansive and awe-inspiring 'Tomorrowland' ever created.
Disney’s Snow Crown: A Disney-themed ski resort planned to be located in the Mineral King glacial valley in northern California, which was ultimately blocked by preservationist efforts.
These are the largest resorts and theme parks that Disney envisioned but never brought to life. There are countless other concepts, including rides, attractions, and restaurants, that were put to paper but never materialized, due to various reasons.
6. Slumless, Smokeless Cities
Sir Ebenezer Howard, the founder of the garden city movement, proposed suburban towns situated near large metropolitan areas that were not reliant on their larger neighbors. These garden cities were designed to offer a pleasant living environment with open public spaces, while also incorporating industry and agriculture. Although Howard succeeded in establishing several garden cities, starting in the United Kingdom, the ideal of the slumless, smokeless city remains unrealized.
His design is quite intriguing, and a glance at his hand-drawn diagram reveals an aesthetically pleasing vision. Several notable features stand out. The design resembles a giant wheel, with the Central City at its core and six smaller garden cities surrounding it. Each city is encircled by a circular canal, while a major canal, the Inter Municipal Canal, links all six outer cities. In keeping with the canal theme, straight canals cut through each of the outer cities and connect directly to the Central City. Roads also run alongside these canals. Within the outer cities would be the Inter Municipal Railway, and inside this railway, Howard envisioned spaces for farms, an insane asylum, reservoirs, an agricultural college, industrial homes, cemeteries, and even a 'home for waifs.'
The design aimed to alleviate the overcrowding and filth of large cities while still maintaining a sense of connection. However, due to the immense scale of the project and insufficient support for Howard’s plan, these interconnected cities were never realized.
5. California City
California City is a real place you can visit, but its original vision was never fully achieved. Developer Nat Mendelsohn had a bold dream of creating a city that would rival Los Angeles in grandeur. He began constructing it on a 320-square-kilometer tract in California's Mojave Desert, complete with a vast park and artificial lake. From a satellite view, it may seem like Mendelsohn came close to realizing his dream. But upon closer inspection, something becomes glaringly absent—homes.
Although hundreds of streets intersect, forming a vast and seemingly endless grid with cul-de-sacs scattered throughout, this massive network is nothing more than an expansive ghost town. Unlike traditional ghost towns, which are typically filled with buildings, these roads are eerily devoid of any structures—no telephone poles or anything else. It almost seems as if an intricate crop circle was created in the desert or a series of hiking paths lost in the sand and dirt, aimlessly meandering around.
Mendelsohn had a vision that was common among real estate developers of his time. His plan was to purchase a large expanse of land, subdivide it into thousands of individual plots, and sell these to families eager to own a piece of land. Unfortunately, his gamble did not succeed. Five decades later, the streets remain empty and deteriorating. While dust storms are frequent in the region, the primary reason for the failure was his overestimation of demand.
Despite the vast emptiness surrounding it, the city isn't completely abandoned. It has a small population of around 14,000 people, constituting a modest town. However, this entire town occupies only a small corner of the enormous, barren grid. Even though it provides basic services, it will never evolve into the sprawling metropolis that Nat Mendelsohn had envisioned, similar to the likes of Los Angeles.
4. Minnesota Experimental City
The Minnesota Experimental City (MXC) was a collaborative project initiated in the 1960s between a private partnership, the University of Minnesota, and the Federal Government. The city's purpose was to be a model for urban studies, deliberately open to observation and analysis by experts in the field. True to its name, the city would embody an array of experimental ideas never before implemented on such a large scale.
Designed to house around 250,000 people, the city would prioritize open spaces like parks, farms, and wilderness. A mere sixth of the area would be paved, and a geodesic dome, created by Buckminster Fuller, would partially cover the city. This dome, known for its remarkable strength and resistance to hurricanes and tornadoes, is a structure that remains popular today. The city would be car-free, with vehicles parked at the perimeter, and people would be transported into the city center via people-movers. A futuristic, automated highway system featuring magnetic, driverless cars would connect the city to the outside world.
One of the most radical and contentious aspects of the city’s design was the absence of traditional schools. Instead, the city would embrace the concept of lifelong learning, where everyone functions as both a teacher and a learner. Education would occur through social interaction, observation, and involvement in various groups and clubs, among other activities.
Due to budgetary constraints and logistical challenges, the groundbreaking vision for the city never came to fruition.
3. BoozeTown
This wasn't just some trivial, attention-grabbing scheme. In the 1950s, one man had a vision—a resort city entirely built around the celebration of alcohol. He dreamed of a place where drinking wasn't just tolerated, but cherished, and revered as a culture in its own right.
Mel Johnson had a deep passion for drinking. As a young man, he ventured across the globe, visiting iconic drinking capitals like Dublin, New York, Havana, Rio, Barcelona, New Orleans, and Paris. Yet, the drinking culture in these cities wasn't quite enough for him. He sought something grander. An intelligent man who had dropped out of Harvard University and served in the military, Johnson’s epiphany after World War II led him to pursue the creation of BoozeTown.
His vision for the city was immense, filled with countless bars and nightclubs, each with its own unique theme. Every detail was carefully planned—streets named after alcohol like Gin Lane, Bourbon Boulevard, and 21st Amendment Ave. There would be a moving sidewalk and an electric trolley system designed to help tipsy patrons get home (or to another bar). Much of the alcohol would be brewed or distilled locally, providing revenue. All bars and liquor stores would be open 24/7, with alcohol allowed everywhere—even in banks and places of worship. The city would have its own currency, BoozeBucks, and its own police force, the Party Police, whose role wouldn’t be to enforce but to assist. The BoozeTown Bugle would keep everyone informed, and children would be strictly prohibited. A daycare just outside the city limits would cater to visitors’ needs. Johnson envisioned a population of retirees, artists, and the carefree—those who had no responsibilities toward children. He was convinced that famous artists, writers, and actors would eventually flock to the city. In the center, a towering building shaped like a martini glass would serve as his home and headquarters.
Johnson scouted potential locations for BoozeTown, considering places like Middle America, northern Nevada, and even an island off the coast of Mexico. He inherited wealth from his late father but needed far more capital to make his dream a reality. To raise funds, he threw extravagant fundraisers and produced a plethora of promotional items—maps, postcards, matchbooks—bearing the logo of BoozeTown to woo potential investors. At times, he believed he had enough money to get started and set opening dates, but few were genuinely willing to invest. His increasingly erratic behavior and eccentric actions, coupled with press condemnation, ultimately shattered his dream. By 1960, he abandoned the project, was committed to a hospital, and was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. He passed away shortly after.
Imagine cruising down a long, deserted road, when suddenly, in the distance, you spot a massive martini glass emerging on the horizon, inviting you to experience BoozeTown: 'Where It’s Always Happy Hour.'
2. Seward’s Success
A visionary city planned to be situated just across the bay from Anchorage, Alaska, its name was a twist on 'Seward’s Folly,' the term used to describe Secretary of State William Seward's 1867 purchase of Alaska from Russia. The city was to be like no other.
At its core, the city would be shielded by a massive glass dome, creating a climate-controlled environment. Designed to support up to 400,000 people, it would feature a sports arena, shopping mall, schools, and a petroleum center. Transportation would be futuristic, with moving sidewalks and an aerial cable car system to transport people within the city and to nearby Anchorage. The design incorporated expansive skylights and windows, offering a sense of space without compromising the dome’s climate-regulating function. Cars would be banned inside because the city was designed 'for people, not cars,' and most of the city's energy would come from natural gas. Later, a subway under the bay was proposed to link the city with Anchorage.
The failure to make land lease payments, coupled with the sheer impracticality of the project, ensured that Seward’s Success would ultimately never come to fruition.
1. Welthauptstadt
Welthauptstadt Germania (World Capital Germania) was envisioned to be the crown jewel of the Third Reich. Adolf Hitler, with his boundless arrogance, believed that Germany would rise to become the epicenter of Europe—and perhaps the world. Even before World War II, he began planning the city that would be a newly rebuilt Berlin. His ambition was to surpass the grandeur and magnificence of other world capitals such as London, Paris, and Washington D.C.
The plans for this colossal city included a stadium with a capacity of 400,000 spectators, a Chancellery with an opulent hall twice as long as the one at the Palace of Versailles, a Triumphal Arch modeled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris but vastly larger, and a vast open square surrounded by monumental government buildings. The crowning feature of the city would be the Volkshalle, or People’s Hall, a massive domed structure designed by Hitler and his chief architect Albert Speer. Had this dome been constructed, it would still today be the largest enclosed space in the world—sixteen times larger than the dome of St. Peter’s.
Although the war broke out before construction could commence, halting any building efforts, the land was acquired and the engineering blueprints were prepared. Hitler’s vision was to win the war, complete the construction of Welthauptstadt, hold a grand World’s Fair there in 1950, and then retire. However, the defeat of the Nazi regime and the fall of the Third Reich at the hands of the Allied forces effectively sealed the fate of this ambitious city.
One ironic aspect of the Welthauptstadt plans was that the marshy, unstable soil of Berlin would never have been able to support the colossal structures Hitler envisioned as the centerpiece of his city.
