Maharishi Vedic City (MVC) is a city in Jefferson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 277 at the time of the 2020 census. The city was incorporated in 2001 as "Vedic City" but then officially changed its name to "Maharishi Vedic City" five months later. It was the first city to incorporate in Iowa since 1982. Maharishi Vedic City consists of approximately one square mile, located about four miles north of Fairfield, the home of Maharishi University of Management.
The city plan and buildings are based on Maharishi Sthapatya Veda, which is said to be an ancient system of architecture and design, revived by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Its goals are to "protect, nourish, and satisfy everyone, upholding the different social, cultural, and religious traditions while maintaining the integrity and progress of the city as a whole".
History
The concept of a "Vedic City" was conceived by the Maharishi, and a real estate developer and several others began to actualize the vision for a Vedic town in 1991. The first resolution of the city council proclaimed the constitution of the city to be the same as "the Constitution of the Universe — Total Natural Law — RK Veda".
More than a dozen developers purchased 50 farms totaling , some 1,200 of which were designated for the town itself. Together, they planned a city arranged in ten circles totaling about one square mile, along with paved roads, utilities, sewage and Internet. They then began the first phase of construction, which included two hotels, various houses and office buildings. After one year, 46 structures had been built and more than $35 million spent on development. Financial and infrastructure needs led the developers to seek formal designation as a city from the state, and after petitioning the Iowa City Development Board and holding a referendum, it was incorporated as Iowa's newest city on July 25, 2001 — the first in Iowa since 1982. Planners expected the city to have a population of over 1,000 by 2010, many of them transplants from nearby Fairfield. In the early stages of development, Vedic City set aside 50 acres as land for conservation and preservation. This acreage was then transformed from farmers' fields to native prairies, wetlands and forest.
In 2002, a building known as "The Mansion" became a headquarters for the Global Country of World Peace (GCWP). The Mayor of MVC is Rogers Badgett.
According to city officials in 2004, "more than $200 million of venture capital had been invested in Fairfield and Vedic City companies during the past 13 years". By 2006, the city consisted of more than 200 buildings.
In October 2011, a television show titled "America's Most Unusual Town" aired on the Oprah Winfrey Network on March 25, 2012, and featured Winfrey's visit to Fairfield and Maharishi Vedic City.
Organic economy
In November 2002, the city council passed an ordinance banning the sale of non-organic food within its borders.
In 2003, the city began offering tours to the public and has several thousand visitors per year. The city has an organic farm and sells produce to retail outlets such as the Whole Foods Market. Maharishi Vedic City, and the nearby town of Fairfield, "receive federal grants from agencies including the Departments of Energy and Agriculture for developing renewable energy sources" and recycling programs.
The city council voted to ban the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers within the city limits in April 2005, becoming the first all-organic city in the country.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.
Demographics
The Census Bureau has since done a recount for the 2010 census.
As of the census of 2010, there were 259 people, 142 households, and 48 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 174 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.0% White, 2.3% African American, 1.5% Asian, and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.9% of the population.
There were 142 households, out of which 2.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.3% were married couples living together, 2.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 1.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 66.2% were non-families. 47.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.74 and the average family size was 2.33.