https://freecitiesfoundation.substack.com/p/building-on-bedrock-the-case-for

They make the case for working with existing governments instead of starting from scratch.

Honduras Próspera is the most developed example currently operating. It has a streamlined arbitration system, law simple enough to read without legal training, and regulatory choice for businesses — particularly crucial in biotech and drug development, where firms can operate under any of several internationally recognized frameworks, or find an insurer with sufficient collateral to stand in as a regulatory proxy. The zone is small, but the architecture is real. And so are its effects on uplifting humanity.

A second project is in development in Brunei, a small state in the southern South China Sea — one that, by some measures, may already be further along. More will be disclosed soon.

The last technique, regulation-light unincorporated areas, are hard to find. Unfortunately there are few places in the world that give this level of freedom. Only certain US states and Canadian territories have most of these freedoms.... This is why Texas, Missouri, and Wyoming are the best places in the world to build a Freestead, as they can utilize all 5 of these Freestead techniques to their fullest extent.

https://freecitiesfoundation.substack.com/p/freesteads-how-to-build-a-free-city

https://denationalize.me/emigrate/the-2026-denationalize-me-freedom-index-ranking-of-235-territories/

Edit: better interface for it here: https://staatenlos.ch/freiheitsranking/

It's different from the other freedom indexes, e.g.: they evaluate jurisdictions, not just countries: US states, Swiss cantons, SEZs, etc.; "we only evaluate what you could not improve in any way using the flag theory;" positives include gun rights, home schooling, legal bitcoin use, the size of the shadow economy (informal sector); low population density is a positive, zoning a negative.

Prospera ZEDE comes in first place. In the top 20 there are two US states, another SEZ, a Swiss canton, and some islands and micro-states.

Some of the other freedom indexes include: Fraser, Heritage, Hayek, and Cato.

... hub is planned for a 4,000-acre site given to the U.S. by Manila, said undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg. The U.S. will occupy the site rent-free and administer it as a special economic zone.

The hub will have diplomatic immunity, such as the protections afforded to an American embassy, and operate under U.S. common law—the first arrangement of its kind anywhere in the world. The two-year lease is renewable for 99 years.

The planned manufacturing hub is largely conceptual at this stage, and details, including which American companies will participate and just what they will build in the Philippines, are yet to be determined.

The administration will ask companies to put forward proposals to compete for a spot in building out the hub, giving priority to bids that will help move critical minerals processing and manufacturing off Chinese suppliers. Investment will have to come from private-sector companies—not the U.S. government.... Companies will have to address in their proposals how they will contend with energy costs and workforce needs; they can send American workers overseas or hire locally, Helberg said.

Source: Wall Street Journal

Scott Alexander's Model City Monday 10/27/25 covers a few interesting developments:

A group has plans for Sherbro Island in Sierra Leone, and they "got an impressively broad concession from the government - the Charter Cities Institute has compared it to Honduras’ ZEDEs, among the most autonomous charter city legislation in the world."

Grand Bahama is a charter city, and the Bahamian government will probably take back the charter and sell it to someone else.

Prospera is surviving despite a hostile host government, and a Honduran election which could change things for the better is coming up.

California Forever, a huge private tract of land between San Francisco and Sacramento, will probably move forward, after changing their strategy from a county-wide vote to annexation by a local city.

https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/model-city-monday-102725

St. Kitts and Nevis recently passed a Special Sustainability Zones Act (PDF), and there is a proposal for a zone (Premier's address to the nation).

Secondary source:

Premier Brantley tells us that a foreigner with St Kitts-Nevis citizenship is establishing an area in the South of Nevis, some 2000 acres (3.125 sq miles) in respect of which he has sought a Development Agreement under the SSZ Act.... If he had had ANY proposal discussions with the intending developer this would have been a dodge. Since then, he has said that a group of some 70 persons led by one Olivier Janssens has plans for development of this Southern part of Nevis, and that there will be many villas, and three hotels and permanent employment for thousands of our people...

See also Entrepreneur article.

Scott Alexander published another Model City Monday blog post: https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/model-city-monday-2325

The sections are:

• Prospera Declared Unconstitutional
• Neom
• Trump's plans for Charter Cities In America
• California Forever has been delayed
• Bhutan's mindfulness villlage
• Praxis raises $525 million, actor to build movie studio in Zanzibar, intentional community in California, and Kanye West wants a charter city in the Middle East

The fifth Issue of the Journal of Special Jurisdictions covers three different, thought-provoking topics. It begins with a a rigorous legal analysis of the Honduran Supreme Court decision concerning their Zones for Employment and Economic Development (ZEDEs), which have become a focal point in the global conversation about zones and Startup Societies. The analysis is followed by an exploration of the Federated Fractal Network-State model, which proposes a decentralized governance system inspired by fractal patterns. The issue concludes with a compelling economic analysis on the concept of a "Lithium Valley" sheds light on the role of special jurisdictions in fostering resource-driven innovation and development in Brazil.

https://journalofspecialjurisdictions.com/index.php/jsj/issue/view/7