Bill Gates can see the future — in the Arizona desert.

An investment firm controlled by the Microsoft cofounder and philanthropist has bought nearly 25,000 acres about 45 miles west of Phoenix to build a smart city, communities that are built from the ground up with the idea of integrating technology into their residents’ lives.The proposed community, known as Belmont, would serve a “template” for development of sustainable cities capitalizing on cutting-edge infrastructure, the investment firm Belmont Partners said a statement.

 “Belmont will create a forward-thinking community with a communication and infrastructure spine that embraces cutting-edge technology, designed around high-speed digital networks, data centers, new manufacturing technologies and distribution models, autonomous vehicles and autonomous logistics hubs,” the firm said in a statement.

The investment comes amid growing interest in smart cities, communities that use technology to keep its streets clean by alerting the sanitation department when public garbage bins are full. Communities that allow its residents to unlock their office door and turn on your computer before you even arrive at work. A place where residents can use their phones to reserve and get directions to a parking space.

Belmont Partners has spent $80 million on the plot of land for the proposed community, which would be comparable in size and population to nearby Tempe — 40 square miles and about 160,000 people, the firm said in a statement.

Belmont will be composed of 80,000 residential units, with more than 3,800 acres for office, commercial and retail space, 3,400 acres of open space, and 470 acres will be used for public schools, the firm said.

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