[5] In 2009, Kitson & Partners, a real estate development firm joined with Florida Power & Light to announce plans to make Babcock Ranch the first solar-powered city in the United States.

[13][14] Designed as a magnet for high-tech companies and a research and development hub for clean energy, Babcock Ranch was planned to be self-contained with four villages and five hamlets.

The plan included a total of 20,000 permanent jobs to sustain up to 50,000 residents in 19,000 households[15] and 5,000,000 square feet (460,000 m2) of light industry, retail, commerce, offices, and civic space.

[16] The downtown area was designed to be walkable and bikeable and will include 8,000 homes as well as offices, business parks, a hospital care center, shopping, restaurants, entertainment, and lodges.

[citation needed] In addition, Florida Gulf Coast University plans to build a satellite campus in Babcock Ranch.

[23][24][25] Plans are for Babcock Ranch to have an interconnected system of computer networks utilizing the IBM Rational Focal Point software running all city services from transport to energy to communications, and also linking up to local businesses;[26] Babcock Ranch will be added to IBM's list of the world's "smarter cities".

[27] According to Florida Power & Light chief development officer Eric Silagy, the photovoltaic solar plant to be built at Babcock Ranch[21] will occupy rooftops throughout the city plus 400 acres (160 ha) of land.

[28] Approximately ninety percent of Babcock Ranch's total land will remain undeveloped, including more than half of the area owned by developers Kitson & Partners, to be preserved as open space, nature reserves, or for agricultural use.

[3] The state plans to continue business enterprises to maintain the publicly owned land as a nature reserve with accommodations for recreation, including hunting, camping, and hiking.