The Future of Hurricane-Proof Construction Is Taking Shape in Florida
The town of Babcock Ranch was built to withstand hurricanes. And it runs almost entirely on solar energy. BY ERIKA THOMAS Imagine an American town that’s powered almost entirely by solar energy, where commercial and residential development is balanced with natural green space and ecosystems, and the infrastructure is specifically designed to withstand natural disasters.You […]
Babcock Ranch recognized as a Top 10 master-planned community in 2024
BABCOCK RANCH, Fla. (Jan. 9, 2025) – Babcock Ranch has once again ranked as a top 10 master-planned community in the nation on industry-leading lists for 2024. America’s first solar-powered town was recognized as the 10th best-selling master-planned community by John Burns Research and Consulting. The rankings are based on the town’s 797 homes sales […]
Business Insider: I moved to a ‘hurricane-resistant’ community
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Patti DiMarco, a 76-year-old Realtor who splits her time between New Jersey and Florida. After increasing concerns over hurricane damage and rising insurance costs, DiMarco moved to the ‘hurricane-resistant’ community of Babcock Ranch. Located 20 minutes north of Fort Myers, Babcock Ranch was built on land […]
Syd Kitson receives Governor’s Business Leader Award 2024
The Florida Council of 100 (FC100) announced Syd Kitson, chairman and CEO of Kitson & Partners and founder of Babcock Ranch, as the recipient of the FC100 2024 Governor’s Business Leader Award. Since the Council of 100 was formed 63 years ago, 23 members have been honored with this distinguished award, which recognizes long-term excellence […]
Realtor.com: Inside America’s First Solar-Powered Community
America’s first solar-powered community has had a “mind-blowing” effect on residents’ power bills—and it’s even getting attention for surviving Hurricane Milton unscathed, and without losing power. Billed as “the Hometown of Tomorrow,” this planned community in Punta Gorda, FL, just 15 miles from Fort Myers, is fueled by solar energy, thanks to the 880-acre solar […]
Forbes: Hurricanes Helene and Milton Should Motivate Us to Bury Power Lines
Hurricanes Helene and Milton remind us of electricity infrastructure’s vulnerability to extreme weather events. However, at least one Florida community, Babcock Ranch, managed to avoid electricity shutoffs from downed power lines. A newspaper story reported that “All the structures at Babcock Ranch are built to withstand more than 150-mile-per-hour hurricane force winds, and its 150-megawatt […]
The Travel: Are Climate Resistant-Communities The Future
When two major category hurricanes tore through the State of Florida within two weeks of each other recently, both state and local officials warned of their potential to unleash catastrophic damage to the areas within their reach, issuing mandatory evacuation orders to millions of Floridians. Babcock Ranch on the West Coast of Florida was built […]
Vision Times: How Babcock Ranch Is Built to Be “Hurricane-Proof”
A unique Florida community, situated approximately 15 miles northeast of Fort Myers, which calls itself “the Hometown of Tomorrow,” did not flood or even lose power following hurricane Milton’s landfall on the Florida coast last week because it was specifically built to withstand hurricanes. Babcock Ranch, which opened in 2018 and is about the size of […]
New York Post: How Babcock Ranch Escaped Hurricane Milton’s Wrath
A Florida community built specifically to withstand powerful storm-force winds made it through Hurricane Milton with barely a scratch — never even losing power as the tempest ran roughshod on the Sunshine State. Babcock Ranch, a town about 15 miles northeast of Fort Myers, bills itself as “the Hometown of Tomorrow” on its website, a claim […]
The Daily Mail: How Babcock Ranch Was Built to Withstand Hurricanes
Babcock Ranch, a community that opened in 2018, experienced some downed traffic lights and trees but never lost power during Milton. It was built specifically to withstand hurricanes. Buildings can withstand winds of 150 mph, and power lines are buried underground, meaning they cannot be toppled by wind. The town – which is set to […]
