California City: The Grid and the Real City — Free 12-Page Ebook

Why does California City have a street grid stretching into the empty Mojave Desert?

In 1958, developer Nat Mendelsohn began selling a vision of a much larger city. Parts of that vision became a real community; other planned areas remained largely open desert.

This free 12-page PDF explores the original plan, what was actually built, the difference between a mapped road and a paved street, and why water service must be checked lot by lot. It includes original illustrations and clickable sources so you can check the facts yourself.

Created by Undrawn for curious readers and everyone who knows California City firsthand.