When President Donald Trump introduced the concept of building new “Freedom Cities” on underutilized federal land, he instantly faced criticism. Conservative New York Times columnist Ross Douthat wrote in his post that Trump’s freedom cities will be built somewhere in the vacant portions of the American West. Meanwhile, Fox News’s in-house comedian Gutfeld called this project “optimism on meth.”
This does raise questions regarding “where these cities will be built and how big they will be?” The scale of the freedom cities is extremely important as it would determine building cost, power efficiency, water usage, and job creation. Build too small, and Freedom City risks becoming just another planned community. Build too large, and it risks collapsing under its own complexity. The sweet spot, as Robert Simpson argues in his new book From Hydrants to Housing: Reframing the Western Crisis, lies in aiming big enough to reshape the housing market, but smart enough to remain resilient and sustainable
Scale Creates Efficiency
Freedom Cities aim to manufacture homes off-site in modules or panels and assemble them at scale. These cities could dramatically reduce costs while increasing speed and quality. But this requires a large enough market, tens or hundreds of thousands of units, to achieve real economies of scale.
These cities must be large enough to include: jobs, schools, hospitals, transportation, industry, and culture. Small projects can’t attract diverse businesses or create the economic mix that makes cities thrive. But if designed at scale, these cities could anchor regional economies, relieve pressure on existing urban centers, and offer affordable ownership opportunities for millions of Americans.
The Crucial Numbers
So, what is the right size? Simpson lays out examples in his book. A Freedom City in Utah’s San Rafael Desert, for instance, could eventually host up to five million residents. It will be supported by modern water systems, data centers, energy hubs, and even a 15,000-foot commercial runway. At that size, the city would act as a self-sustaining economic engine.
However, even the largest proposed Freedom City, producing around two million housing units, would still address only a fraction of the nation’s shortage of 4.5 to 8.2 million units. To have a real impact, Freedom Cities must follow proper design and planning.
Water: The Limiting Factor
A city of millions requires massive investments in reclamation, desalination, and conveyance. But Simpson’s research highlights that with advanced technology, water efficiency can be far greater than California’s current benchmarks. By recycling over 90% of wastewater and pairing it with desalination facilities, a Freedom City can sustain populations that would otherwise overwhelm existing systems.
It is safe to deduce that Trump’s call for Freedom Cities is a new frontier of growth. And as Simpson’s book makes clear, these cities have high chances of bringing hope and economic opportunities in a time of national need.