Most countries around the world are looking for ways to “green up” their biggest cities, and reduce carbon footprints caused by fuel emissions. But the Desert nation of Abu Dhabi is taking the concept of the green city to a new extreme.
Masdar City will be the worlds first zero emissions city. Abu Dhabi has begun work on the future metropolis and estimates the city will cost at least $22 billion to complete. As a planned city, Masdar will take eight years to complete and is expected to have a population of around 50,000 inhabitants and approximately 1500 businesses.
The city will be powered mostly by solar energy, and will be a strictly car-free zone. Residents will travel throughout the city on light-weight dedicated “pods” (no kidding!) that move along magnetic tracks. If you think this sounds like something out of the Jetsons you’re not alone, but the oil-rich nation has both the money and resources to bring this fantasy Green city into reality.
Abu Dhabi is one of the world’s richest countries, and ironically, one of the biggest polluters, having one of the biggest “carbon footprints” of any nation in the world, and easily the worst polluter in the Middle East. Critics charge that by building Masdar City, Abu Dhabi is simply trying to deflect attention from the poor environmental policies of the rest of the country.
Other critics worry that the new Green city will become an island-like luxury oasis in the Middle East, and that the influence of this all green city will be minimal throughout the rest of the region.
But Masdar City is breaking new ground and setting the bar ever higher for sustainable urban areas. For example, the city will enforce strict architectural codes that require all buildings and structures to be of low-energy designs, and take advantage of the natural air conditioning from wind towers situated throughout the city.
Clean running water will be provided through a series of solar desalinization plants and overall, the city’s water needs are expected to be 60% lower than traditional cities of the same size. Further, in the process of creating Masdar City, the government of Abu Dhabi will create the world’s largest ever hydrogen power plant.
The goal of the new city is to set new standards and develop new technology for clean sustainable that can be transferred to other cities around the world. Despite the ambitiousness of the project, and the sky-high price tag, Abu Dhabi government officials insist that the green city will be a worthwhile return on the country’s investment.
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