Chances are we’re gonna be hearing an increasing amount of talk about cutting carbon emissions and becoming energy independent…. These undertakings are quite hefty and can seem pretty overwhelming, if not impossible. Lucky for us, we will soon have some shining examples to follow. The United Arab Emirates Masdar Initiative is one such case study and their initial project is the development of a carbon neutral city in Abu Dhabi. The $22 billion dollar Masdar City is scheduled to house 50,000 residents by 2016 and become a global hub for clean technologies. Foster + Partners architects are taking the helm of master planning, and logically some pretty incredible eco-strategies will be implemented.
The idea is to build a city that will have no carbon emissions… An incredibly optimistic goal, particularly when noting the huge amount of resources and energy that will be used in the construction process… the developers will take this into consideration by building a 40 to 60 megawatt solar plant, which will supply power for all construction activity.
When built, the city will feature narrow streets and shaded walkways, minimizing the need for air conditioning. Solar panels and collectors on rooftops will generate enough electricity to meet most of the city’s needs.
Another key ingredient to the vitality of Masdar City is that it will be car-free… Designers are working on something they are calling a personal rapid transit (prt) system. Basically solar-powered electric cars will run underground on a complex grid of 1,500 stations. The six-passenger vehicles will be super easy to use… type in your destination and off you go!
Water will be another major component that will set Masdar apart… City planners are claiming that 80% of it will be recycled. The idea is to reuse water as many times as possible, from public use to agriculture. A solar-powered desalination plant will be utilized to supply the city’s water needs, which are expected to be 60% lower than similar sized communities.
Similarly, how waste is managed will be extremely innovative. The goal is to be the first city where waste is converted to energy and reduced to zero. Using materials that can be broken down and recycled is an imperitive. Repurposing human waste for landscaping requirements and setting up a waste-to-power facility will contribute to meeting ambitious goals.
The project is headed by the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company…. they are anticipating that 1,500 businesses, primarily commercial and manufacturing facilities specializing in eco-friendly products, will make their home in Masdar. It will also be the location of the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (MIST), which will be assisted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Basically, it will be the future hub for renewable technologies… Construction has already begun and the first phase is scheduled to be complete and habitable in 2009.
A little commentary: There’s no denying this project rocks some serious socks. It is however a little bittersweet because (as far as I know) there has yet to be a project like this even on the drawing boards for us here in the states…. as we keep scrapping for every last ounce of oil, other parts of the world are investing in long-term solutions. Global visionaries are screaming by the dozens that clean technologies will be the defining discoveries of the 21st century (research projects that Clean Tech will go from a $55 billion industry (2006) to $226.5 bill by 2016). Learning that MIT, our nation’s premier technology institution, is on board for this project in Abu Dhabi is like rubbing salt in a wound.
Innovation and education are becoming the new economy drivers as consumption becomes a sad, distant memory… As our metaphorical country spits and spatters down the road on fumes of 19th century fossil fuels, other countries are accelerating past with their electric and hybrid technologies…. I’m getting all worked up… I’m gonna go have some organic butternut bisque.
-j
