“The officials wanted me to imagine this land replaced by a futuristic megacity called Amaravati. By 2035, they projected, it would be home to 11 million people and cover 3,322 square miles – ten times the area of New York City.” Building a planned city from the ground up is a risky proposition. “With the exception of war and space exploration, they are the costliest gamble humans make.” California Sunday Magazine’s Rollo Romig: India builds a city from scratch.