Project Cascadia

**Project Cascadia,** formerly known as the **Second Armonian Capitol Project** is a public works megaproject in Armonia which will reconstruct the city of Mattupolis and re-establish it as the new Armonian capital, Cascadia. Upon completion, the city will receive a number of enhancements designed to prepare and modernise Mattupolis, from the complete reorganisation of the city's government and districts, to new public transportation infrastructure, and changes in the city's economy. The resposibilities of the project's urban planning/master planning, large scale architecture, and infrastructure operations are primarily designed by massArchitecture, whilst interior design, landscaping, and other architectural and creative elements fall under the responsibilities of Fletcherworks.

After significant surveying and over 20 years of planning, Mattupolis was announced to become Armonia's new capital on 31 December 2021. It is the most expensive public works project in North American history with a maxiumum budget ceiling of $1 trillion, and currently has no estimated completion date. The project is lead by director Connor Campbell.

## History of the Project

The City of Newisle has served as Armonia's only capital throughout it's lifetime. In the 1990s, the Armonian Federal Government (arGov) deduced that the city would approach its population capacity between 2030-2040, due to geographic barriers present within the metropolitan area and due to zoning conflicts with the nearby city of Rockwood who prevented urban expansion, blocking 30% of the bay area's usable land. As a result, the cost of housing in Newisle has skyrocketed in recent years, and the lack of space has prevented the federal government, hospitals, and other public systems from being able to expand. This led to inefficiencies within the government, and restlessness from the public. Rather than ignore the problem or find potential on-site solutions, the government decided to confront the issues by resettling the capital.

arGov developed Project Cascadia in secret in order to determine a suitable replacement site. In the 2010s, it selected Mattupolis to replace Newisle and began backdoor negotiations with the state of Everson and the city in order to pave a new way forward.

### Conflicts with Rockwood and Alachua

Although the official reason for relocating the capital is cited as the lack of available land created by geographic entities, it is widely acknowledged that the rivalry between Rockwood and Newisle impacted the decision to move the capital all-together. Rockwood was established as a suburban city in the 1930s for wealth families wanting to escape Newisle. In order to prevent the rise of skyscrapers and other buildings, the city placed strict ordinances which prevented urban development. As Newisle's urban sprawl began to wrap around the bay area towards Rockwood, the city began to protect it's wider plots and large public plazas by declaring the majority of homes and spaces as historical buildings and heritage sites. The essentially prevented development on 30% of the available building space within the Newisle Bay Area. The federal government has been repeatedly unable to overturn Rockwood's laws. Newisle's citizens often blame Rockwood for their current housing crisis, leading to a rivalry. Historians, however, argue the need to protect Rockwood's splendour and historical properties.

The conflict between Armonia and Alachua is also cited as a reason for relocating the capital, due to Newisle's proximity to rogue state.

## Project Details

Project Cascadia encompasses many enhancements which will substantially change the landscape of Cascadia physically, economically, and socially.

### Government

* Reorganisation of the city government to form the Neometropolitan Committee.
* Redrawing and naming of districts, and establishment of wards.
* Creation of The Capitol, an area north of the Halifax River dedicated to the national government.
* Implementation of arTIGER for addressing.
* Population counting

### Transportation

* Repaving and renaming of roads, highways, and other automobile infrastructure.
* Reconstruction of highway mergers
* Construction of new Metro system
* Rebuilding the city's surface rail network, establishment of the RER, construction of new lines between the U.S. and Canada, rebuild of Cascadia Pacific Station

### Construction

* Reconstruction of the majority of the city's skyscrapers
* Construction of new apartments, homes, and public facilities in order to accommodate anticipated population influx

### Economy

* New headquarters campuses being built to welcome new businesses, or those relocating from Newisle
* Reinforcement of tech, healthcare
* Establishment of industry of government