California City
| California City | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Location in California
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| Basic data | |||
| Foundation : | December 10, 1965 | ||
| State : | United States | ||
| State : | California | ||
| County : | Kern County | ||
| Coordinates : | 35 ° 10 ′ N , 117 ° 52 ′ W | ||
| Time zone : | Pacific ( UTC − 8 / −7 ) | ||
| Residents : | 14,210 (as of 2010) | ||
| Population density : | 27 inhabitants per km 2 | ||
| Area : | 527.4 km 2 (approx. 204 mi 2 ) of which 527.2 km 2 (approx. 204 mi 2 ) is land |
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| Height : | 733 m | ||
| Postcodes : | 93504, 93505 | ||
| Area code : | +1 760 | ||
| FIPS : | 06-09780 | ||
| GNIS ID : | 1660418 | ||
| Website : | www.californiacity.com | ||
| Mayor : | Charles McGuire | ||
California City is a city in Kern County in the US state of California , United States , with 14,210 inhabitants (as of 2010 ). The urban area has a size of 527.4 km², making it the third largest city in California.
history
California City has its origins in 1958 when real estate developer and sociology professor Nat Mendelsohn bought 80,000 acres (320 km²) of land in the Mojave Desert in order to plan California's next major city. He designed a model town around a centrally located park with an 11 hectare artificial lake. He hoped that one day it would overtake Los Angeles . However, growth remained well below expectations. A road network of crumbling asphalt roads and sand tracks, anticipating future expansion, is still recognizable today, but only the town center, which is grouped around the centrally located park, has been settled. Satellite photos underline its claim to be California's third largest city in terms of area. California City was founded on December 10, 1965. One could see this as an example of a failed planned city .
The large network of unfinished streets has now developed into a meeting place for off-road bikers and off-road vehicle drivers.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ David Colker: California City - A Dream in Progress: Mojave Desert: The space and the expectations have been there for 30 years. But reality has not caught up with the plan. America's 11th largest city has only 6,500 residents. Los Angeles Times , February 11, 1990, accessed September 28, 2016.
- ↑ Geoff Manaugh: California Dreaming , in: Bauwelt 106 (2015), no. 24, p. 18.