California Future Society
California Future Society
Podcast Description
What if California's best days lay ahead? What would it take to make that happen?
The California Future Society Podcast explores innovative ideas and bold visions shaping California's future. Hosted by Jarrett Catlin, the podcast features in-depth interviews with thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and policymakers shaping the state.
Signup at californiafuturesociety.com to get all our interviews, essays, and hear about upcoming events.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
This podcast focuses on crucial themes such as technology, housing policy, civic engagement, and environmental innovation. Episodes include discussions on the evolution of the YIMBY movement addressing housing affordability, the role of civic organizations like Grow SF in political reform, and exploring biotech, AI, and sustainability initiatives shaping the state’s trajectory.
What if California’s best days lay ahead? What would it take to make that happen?
The California Future Society Podcast explores innovative ideas and bold visions shaping California’s future. Hosted by Jarrett Catlin, the podcast features in-depth interviews with thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and policymakers shaping the state.
Signup at californiafuturesociety.com to get all our interviews, essays, and hear about upcoming events.
What if building better cities didn’t have to take decades?
In this conversation, I sit down with Devon Zuegel of the Esmeralda Institute and Edge Esmeralda, to explore how a Solarpunk-inspired pop-up village in Northern California is creating new models for community, experimentation, and urban design.
We talk about what it means to build spaces that are human-scale, how aesthetics shape culture, and why California’s future still holds enormous promise — if we’re willing to rethink how we build.
Topics include:
How Edge Esmeralda is shaping the design of a future permanent village
Lessons learned from hosting 1,300 people in a pop-up city
The real meaning of “solarpunk” (beyond the sci-fi aesthetics)
Why California’s ‘resource curse’ demands bold experiments
Building communities that can evolve, not just endure
If you care about the future of California — or the future of cities anywhere — this is a conversation worth hearing.
📍 Learn more about Edge Esmeralda: https://www.edgeesmeralda.com/
📬 Subscribe and you could win a CFS hat!: https://www.californiafuturesociety.com/subscribe
Chapters
00:00 Intro
08:43 What is Edge Esmeralda?
11:59 How Do You Prototype Community?
14:55 Lessons and Highlights from Year 1
22:46 Solarpunk and the Importance of Aesthetics
30:35 Come to Edge Esmeralda!
32:06 The California Identity
35:40 Escaping Stagnation in California
40:42 California’s Resource Curse
43:20 Approaching Local Politics
49:44 Sources of Inspiration in California
Keywords
Edge Esmeralda, solar punk, California culture, community building, aesthetics, experimentation, local relationships, future of California, cultural identity, programming dynamics
Disclaimer
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