Placer One, a 2,200-acre master-planned community located approximately 30 miles north of Sacramento, is set to address California's housing affordability crisis. The development plans to include more than 5,600 homes, a satellite campus for Sacramento State University, and a significant employment hub.
Placer County Supervisor Bonnie Gore stated that the community is designed to offer residents everything they need within one location. The development will feature a mix of starter homes and larger properties, with the goal of making new houses available for under $500,000. Gore emphasized the importance of this diversity, noting that "The community is not going to survive if you have a whole bunch of just rich people."
The concept for Placer One originated with businessman and philanthropist Eli Broad, who envisioned bringing a state university to Placer County and donated a portion of the land for the project. The Placer County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the project in 2019.
With Sacramento State's involvement, the community can begin planning around the satellite campus, which is projected to accommodate up to 12,000 students. "Having a state university here in our community prevents thousands of kids one day having to drive all the way to Sacramento and commute back and forth," Gore said. "That’s a huge value to our residents if their kids want to stay local."
While the community is in its initial development stages, some residents are already occupying homes. Phase 1A, comprising 769 single-family lots across seven villages, is currently under construction. The subsequent two phases, which will add approximately 1,000 more residential units, are in the planning process. The full build-out of Placer One is anticipated to take up to 20 years, dependent on market demand.
As the residential base grows, the development expects complementary businesses like grocery stores to follow. The county is also collaborating with Sacramento State on establishing a forensic science building. An elementary and high school, additional commercial spaces, and emergency services, including fire and police departments, are also planned.
Placer One is not the sole ambitious community project in California. A separate initiative, spearheaded by a group of tech moguls under the name "California Forever," aims to build a private city in Solano County. This project is estimated to cost $215 billion and is slated for completion over approximately 40 years, with plans to construct 170,000 new homes for an eventual population of 400,000 residents. The stated goal is to create "the first walkable city built in a century."