How ‘Hurricane Resistant’ Babcock Ranch Is Pioneering the Future of Climate-Resilient Living

A masterplanned community in Punta Gorda, Florida is already famous for being America's first solar powered town and surviving a direct hit from Hurricane Ian unscathed. Now it plans to be an innovation hub for climate change solutions. Developed as a sustainable and "hurricane resistant" town by former professional football player Syd Kitson and Kitson & Partners in 2006, Babcock Ranch currently has approximately 15,000 residents. With the residential plan spread out over 18,000 acres, the rest of the 91,000-acre tract of land formerly owned by Pittsburgh lumber magnate Edward Vose Babcock is preserved for nature conservation.Designed to be hurricane resistant, the community not only runs on 687,000 solar panels (with battery backup) but has a unique storm-water drainage control system that allows flood waters to be moved through the roads and numerous man-made ponds without ever touching the homes.Loading...Punta Gorda, FL masterplanned community Babcock Ranch wants to be at the forefront of climate change innovation. Babcock RanchIn September 2022, the ranch was tested in how hurricane resistant it was by taking a direct hit from Category 5 Hurricane Ian. It emerged with fly...