Honest answers. No spin.

Is this a commune?

No. URBAL towns are not communes, collectives, or shared-ownership communities. Each steward holds an individual Limited Equity Contract (LEC) for their specific dwelling unit. You own your LEC. You control your space. The community governs shared infrastructure — not your home, your income, or your relationships.

Is this a gated community?

No. URBAL towns are publicly accessible — anyone can walk in. There are no perimeter gates, no access checkpoints, and no exclusion by income. The car-free design naturally limits vehicle access, but pedestrian access is fully open. Residents are called stewards because they hold occupancy contracts, not because they've paid for exclusivity.

Is this a cult?

No. Stewards are free to leave at any time by selling or transferring their LEC. There is no ideological requirement for residency. The governance system (Quiet Council) is democratic — stewards vote on business renewal, fee allocations, and town policy. No individual or group has authority over another steward's private life.

What is a LEC?

A Limited Equity Contract is a perpetual occupancy right — not a deed, not a lease. It grants you full residential rights to a specific dwelling unit for as long as you choose to hold it. LECs pass to heirs. They can be sold, but resale price is controlled to prevent speculation. The LEC structure is what makes the CLT model work: land stays affordable forever because appreciation doesn't flow to individual owners.

What happens to my money if the raise fails?

Full refund. Every dollar you've pledged is held in escrow by an independent OCIO custodian bank — not by URBAL. If the $5B raise threshold is not crossed, the escrow bank returns all funds. URBAL cannot access pledge money until the raise succeeds. This is structural, not a promise.

Is my pledge a charitable donation?

No. URBAL has an IRS Private Letter Ruling confirming that pledge payments are not charitable contributions and are not tax-deductible. They are prepayments toward a future LEC. You do not get a tax deduction. You get a dwelling.

What is the $250/month pledge actually for?

The $250/month pledge accumulates over approximately 1–3 years until the $5B raise closes. At that point, your total pledged amount is applied toward your LEC entry cost. It is a prepayment, not a fee — and it's fully refundable if the raise fails.

Can I pledge more than $250/month?

Yes. Additional pledge amounts increase your selection score for premium dwelling categories. However, pledge amount is not the only selection factor — household composition, LEC term length, and preference matching all contribute.

Can I have a car?

Not inside the town. URBAL towns are fully car-free. Vehicles are permitted in the outer car-rental and delivery infrastructure, but private cars cannot enter the town interior. The town provides a gondola network, dedicated bike paths, electric fleet vehicles (3-year voted contract), and walking infrastructure designed so that 95% of daily needs are within a 7-minute walk.

What if I need to leave before my LEC term ends?

You can sell or transfer your LEC at any time. The resale price is controlled — you cannot sell at market speculation prices — but you receive fair value for the LEC. The LEC is a tradeable asset, not a prison sentence. Shorter LEC terms (3, 7, or 10 years) are available at lower cost; the 16-year term earns the maximum selection multiplier (1.25×).

What about Medicare and Medicaid?

URBAL towns operate a Direct Primary Care (DPC) model that is separate from Medicare and Medicaid. The town's monthly fee covers unlimited primary care, preventive care, mental health visits, dental, and vision — without insurance. Emergency care beyond the town's clinic capacity is covered by a negotiated out-of-town ER contract. Medicare-eligible stewards retain their Medicare benefits but the town's DPC model is the primary care mechanism.

What does the monthly fee actually cover?

Everything: energy (SMR power), water and sewage, waste management, fiber and telecom, building maintenance, security, healthcare (DPC primary, emergency, catastrophe reserve, open-source pharma), daycare (ages 0–5), K–12 education (teacher LLCs), governance, and CLT ground lease (starts at $0). The only bill is the monthly fee. No utilities. No health insurance. No school fees.

What if I want to work outside the town?

You can. The town has gondola and bike connections to surrounding transit. URBAL doesn't require you to work inside the town. Employers inside the town hold up to 49 jobs each, but the labor market is open — stewards can commute outbound. The only restriction is inbound car traffic.

Who selects residents?

The Quiet Council selection process allocates LECs based on a scoring system: pledge amount and duration, LEC term commitment, household minimum population (certain dwelling types require minimum occupancy), and preference matching. There is no subjective 'approval' process — the score determines allocation. No individual or committee decides who lives in the town.

How is this different from an HOA?

Fundamentally different. HOAs govern aesthetics and enforce deed restrictions — they have no authority over shared infrastructure, businesses, healthcare, or schools. The Quiet Council governs all shared infrastructure: it sets fee allocations, votes on business renewal, selects employers, and manages the CLT ground lease. Quiet Council decisions are binding and appealable only through the arbitration process, not through HOA-style litigation.

What about property taxes?

The CLT model replaces property taxes with the per-sqft monthly fee. Because stewards hold LECs (not deeds), there is no assessed property value to tax. The fee covers what property taxes would otherwise fund (schools, infrastructure) plus much more (healthcare, energy, security). The fee is based on sqft — not market value — so appreciation never increases your payment.

Can the Quiet Council raise the monthly fee?

Yes, but only through a full deliberation cycle. Per-sqft fees can only change via Quiet Council vote after a mandatory 6-month public debate period. There are no surprise increases. The CLT ground lease ($0 at start) escalates only if security metrics fail — and the escalation table is public and fixed.

Can any business open in a URBAL town?

No. Only businesses that have submitted a job pledge ($7,500/job, max 49 jobs) appear in the steward preference UI. Businesses are selected by a 100-point score: pledge amount (40 pts, capped), rewards offered (35 pts), and pledger votes (25 pts). Money alone cannot buy a spot — votes must be earned.

What county requirements exist?

The winning county must provide 36 contiguous square miles within one county boundary, clear title, zoning flexibility, county sovereign immunity waiver for arbitration, no interference with 529 accounts or CLT operations, SMR site approval, and certified public school enrollment data. The county receives 51% economic stake in all 9 SPVs and $1.2B in 529 accounts for its school children on Labor Day.