Chautauqua-like village proposed in California
A neighborhood-scale New Urbanist development is now seeking entitlement in Cloverdale, California. The most interesting aspect about the Esmeralda development is not the design philosophy, which is in line with long-time New Urbanist practice, but rather the community “software.”
The project is being proposed by tech engineer Devon Zuegel, who has connections to Silicon Valley—Cloverdale is the northernmost city in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 266-acre site is located on a former lumber yard and mill. The rolling topography surrounded by wooded hills is gorgeous, not unusual for California. The development proposal includes 605 residential units and a mix of uses on a third of the site, or about 90 acres.
The site was already approved nearly two decades ago for a major resort development, including a golf course, hotel, and residential units. The site was remediated after the mill closed. The plan was never built, perhaps because of the timing just before the Great Recession.
Zuegel envisions a community inspired by Chautauqua, New York, the unique village that launched an educational and cultural movement across the US in the late 19th Century. Zuegel’s grandparents owned a cottage in Chautauqua, and she spent summers in that charming place as a child. She also lived there during Covid, and so got the idea of recreating something like Chautauqua, which becomes an educational and cultural campus every summer, with lectures, courses, and performances of all sorts.
Chautauqua has long been a New Urbanist model, because it is a great example of a lakeside village, at a perfect walkable scale. But nobody has tried to recreate its social and cultural aspects. It's a throwback to another era—that it survives is surprising, just like its 19th Century hotel with wavy floors and giant columns on the porch.
What is really interesting is that Zuegel has launched Edge Esmeralda, a “pop-up village” in Healdsburg, California, in anticipation of the proposed development. The event has been going on for three years running, and it is called “A month-long gathering for people building a brighter future.” According to the event’s Substack, it attracted 850 people. “From metabolomics studies to AI agents to new city models, the month worked through the ideas shaping the next decade, alongside familiar rituals like Hotel Trio saunas, weekend redwood hikes, and community picnics in the plaza.”
Zuegel calls Edge Esmeralda a “prototype for the village we are building.” She envisions life in Esmeralda as something like a college campus dedicated to lifelong learning. It is impressive that she was able to attract so many people to a prototype annual event that lasts a month. The photos show in-person gatherings. I don’t recall any other New Urbanist project creating an event of this scale prior to breaking ground.
The idea is socially innovative and, at the same time, based on historical precedent.
The planner is Jes Slivak of Slavik Design, based in the Bay Area. "(We are) creating a network — for pedestrians, bikes, and cars — because connectivity drives engagement," Slavik told the California Planning & Development Report. "The other part is giving people places to engage. We're creating a community core, our 'piazza,' which brings together amenities and tenants." Slavik has worked on major mixed-use projects such as Santana Row in San Jose and Bay Street in Emeryville, California. Given the precedent, It will be hard for Esmeralda to meet the design standards of Chautauqua's civic buildings.
The first task will be entitlement. Thanks to the previous project, the developers don't need zoning changes, but there are many other steps in that process.
“We're proposing a 25-year development agreement, an entirely new specific plan, specific plan zoning, objective design standards (ODS), and a master tentative map — those are the core elements, plus some ancillary agreements,” said Michael Yarne, director of development for Esmeralda Land Company.
