Here’s a Daily Shock that I really don’t understand. According to The Huffington Post, Pegasus Global, a Washington-based technology company, has released plans to build what is being called a huge city-sized petri dish–a ghost town.

The company said Tuesday that they plan to build a 20-square-mile model city in New Mexico that would be used to test a range of experiments including intelligent traffic systems, next-generation wireless networks, renewable energy technology, and more. According to ABC News, Bob Brumely, CEO of Pegasus Global, said the city will mimic new and old infrastructure found in most American cities. The project will take $200 million to build.

Even though no one would live in the city, it will be capable of supporting a population of 350,000. Brumely said the project will be the first of its kind in the United States. He also said the city could create a type of Silicon Valley in New Mexico.

So far, there seem to be mixed feelings about the project. While many, such as dean at Arizona State University’s School of Sustainability Rob Melnick, feel that the city project should have been years ago in order to test elements of city planning and government, some others, like Anthony Rufolo, a professor of urban planning at Portland State University, feel uneasy about the project, citing it as a risk.

If you’d like to learn more about the project, click here and here.

What do you think about this news? Do you think an experimental ghost town would be beneficial to America? Sound off below.