January 18, 2008 8:31 AM PST
Masdar City in Abu Dhabi to lay claim to greenest city
Posted by Martin LaMonica
The cleanest city in the entire world will take root next month in Abu
Dhabi, a place best known for its oil.
At the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, a model of Masdar City
is scheduled to be unveiled on Monday. The three-day conference is
hosted by the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Co.’s Masdar Initiative, which
is investing in a range of ventures, including clean-tech start-ups.
An artist’s rendering of the overall plan of Masdar City. A model will
be unveiled Monday.
(Credit: Masdar)
In February, Masdar (which means "the source" in Arabic) will break
ground on the six-square-kilometer city that its backers say will be
the first zero-pollution, zero-waste city. The city will be capable of
housing 47,500 people, who are scheduled to start moving there in
2009. Construction is expected to take 10 years.
The vision of the city, designed by Foster and Partners, is to be a
model for sustainable architecture.
A solar-photovoltaic power plant will deliver energy to buildings.
Builders also envision using solar canopies that provide shade, as
well as power.
A vision of Masdar Institute of Science and Technology.
(Credit: Foster and Partners)
The city will be placed to take advantage of the cool sea breezes,
while a perimeter wall around the entire city will protect buildings
from the hot desert air and noise from the nearby Abu Dhabi airport.
No cars will be allowed in the city. People will get around through an
electric light-rail system that will be linked to the center of Abu
Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
A desalination facility will be 80 percent more efficient than
existing plants, and all wastewater will be purified and recycled to
grow plants that could be used for biofuels.
Masdar City will be the home of the Masdar Institute of Science and
Technology, which backers hope will attract some of the best academics
from the around the world. Also envisioned are research and
development facilities from multinational companies and start-ups in
the clean technology area.
Topics:
Green buildings, Solar
What chances does something like this have of succeeding?
