Introduction
Masdarisafascinatingexampleofasustainablecommunity.Duringthedesignprocess,NormanFoster,theleadpartnerofFosterArchitects,combinedhigh-techdesignwithancientarchitecturalexperience.AbuDhabi’sstrongoilrevenueallowsthemtobuildanybuildinginMasdar,althoughinordertoprepareforthedaywhentheoilwelldriesup,thepressureonAbuDhabiisincreasing.Atwork,Fosterexperiencedacomfortingsocialatmosphere.Thelocaltraditionandthepaceofmodernizationnolongerconflict,thiskindofharmonyfirstmakespeoplefeelakindofhope.Inaddition,Foster'sdesignalsoreflectsthegrowingpopularityofgatedcommunities.Overthepastfewdecades,gatedcommunitieshavebeenspreadingaroundtheworldlikecancer.Thiskindofcommunitypossessesutopianpurityanddoesnotoverlapwiththelifeofneighboringcommunities.Thesecharacteristicsarecurrentlyacceptedandrecognizedbythevastmajorityofpeople.Itfeelsliketheonlywaytobuildatrulyharmoniouscommunity-whetheritisagreencommunityoranothercommunity-istobeas"closed"aspossible.
Fosteristheidealpersontocompletethisdesignwork.Heisafull-fledgedtechnologyjunkieandhasworkedcloselywithBuckmistFuller.Whenreferringtoarchitecture,helikestousethewords"highperformance".Itseemsthatwhathedesignsisnotabuilding,butasportscar.Tosomeextent,Fosterismostconcernedabouttheconstructioncraftsmanship,thatis,thetechnologyandmaterialsused,whichhasbecomeasimplewayforhimtoavoidgettinginvolvedinmorecomplexsocialinfluencedebates.
UrbanPlanning
OnJanuary21,2008,atthe"WorldFutureEnergySummit"heldinAbuDhabi,thecapitaloftheUnitedArabEmirates,thehostshowedtheworldtheupcomingAmodelofMasdarCity,theworld'smostenvironmentallyfriendlycity,knownasthe"SunCity".Accordingtotheplan,thiswillbetheworld'sfirst"environmentalprotectioncity"thatcompletelyreliesonsolarandwindenergytoachieveenergyself-sufficiencyandzeroemissionsofsewage,carexhaustandcarbondioxide.
DesignerFostersaid:“MasdarCity’szero-carbonandzero-wasteenvironmentalprotectiongoalsarethefirstintheworld.ThesponsorsprovideduswithchallengingdesignideasandaskedustofundamentalPeoplequestionedthetraditionalconceptofurbanconstruction.MasdarCitywilldefinitelybecomeabenchmarkforsustainablecitiesinthefuture."
Solarwindpowergeneration
AlthoughtheUAEisTheworld'sfifthlargestoilexporter,butMasdarwillnotuseadropofoil,butcanfullyachieveenergyself-sufficiency.Therewillbealargenumberofsolarphotovoltaicequipmentinsideandoutsidethecity,aswellaswindenergycollectionandutilizationfacilities,sothattheabundantdesertsunlightandoffshorewindenergyresourcescanbefullyutilized.Aftercompletion,thedesertaroundthecitywillbecoveredwithcountlesssolarphotovoltaicpanelsandreflectors,whichcanconvertsolarenergyintoelectricity.Inaddition,palmtreesandmangroveswillbeplantedaroundthecitytoformagreenbeltaroundthecity.Whileimprovingtheenvironment,thesetreescanproviderawmaterialsformakingbiofuels.Inthefuture,manylargewindmillserectedbetweentheseaandthedesertwillalsobecomeauniquelandscapehere.
ThehotsummerintheUnitedArabEmirateslasts9-10monthseveryyear.Thesurfacetemperatureunderdirectsunlightisabove50degreesCelsius,andtheenergyconsumptionofairconditioningisamazing.Masdarneusesavarietyofgreencoolingmethods:
Firstofall,thenarrowtree-linedstreetsinthecitycriss-cross.However,itisnottreesthatprovideshade,butafiltermadeofaspecialmaterialthatcoverstheskyabovethecity.
Secondly,adevicecalleda"windtower"willbebuiltinthecitytousewindenergy,airflowandwatercirculationtoformanaturalairconditioner.
Thirdly,thedenseriverchannelsandfountainsinthecitycanalsoplayaroleincoolingandincreasinghumidity.
Fourth,thestreetsinthecityaredesignedtobeverynarrow,someplacesareonlyabout3meterswide,andalargenumberofpalmtreesandmangrovesareplantedaroundthecity,thepurposeistoreducedirectsunlightandincreaseshade.
Citieswithoutcars
Masdar’surbanplanningisuniformandhighlyefficient.Allbuildingsarelimitedto5storiesinheighttomaximizeReduceenergyconsumption.The12-meter-highcitywallenclosesMasdar,justlikethemagnificentancientcity.Afterthecompletionof"SunCity",itwillbecomeacitywithoutcars.Aftervisitorsparktheircarsoutsidethecitywalls,theymustwalk,ridebicycles,ortakedriverlesspublictramswhentheyenterthecity.Thiskindofpublictramrunsontracksinmid-air.Duetotheperfecttransportationsystemandreasonablelayout,thedistancefromanyplacetothenearesttransportationnetworkandconveniencefacilitiesisnomorethan200meters,andthecarwillbeuselesshere.
Theideaofenergysavingevenbenefitsoutsidethecity.AnelectricrailwaysystemwillconnectMasdarCityandsurroundingcities.Duetotheeliminationofcarexhaust,thelivingenvironmenthereissimplythe"PeachBlossomSpring"ofthenewera.
Attractinvestmentandrecruittalents
Inadditiontoalargenumberofresidences,MasdarCityalsohasabusinessdistrictthatcanaccommodateatleast1,500companies.Inordertoattractinvestment,AbuDhabialsointroducedapackageofincentivepolicies,includingone-stopgovernmentservices,taxexemptions,andprotectionofintellectualpropertyrights.Internationalinvestorswhodevelopandoperateadvancedenergytechnologieswillbeparticularlyfavoredbytheauthorities.Inaddition,therearegovernmentoffices,residentialareas,sciencemuseums,educationandentertainmentfacilitiesinthecity.
Inordertorecruittalents,theUAEestablishedaUS$250millioncleantechnologyinvestmentfundasearlyas2006,and,togetherwiththeMassachusettsInstituteofTechnology,establishedtheInstituteofResearchandEducationinAbuDhabi.Theplanistoattracttalentedscientists,engineersandentrepreneurs.SultanJaberistheCEOofthecompanyestablishedbytheUAEgovernmenttomanagethe"SunCity".Hebelieves:"AbuDhabi'srichoilreserveswilleventuallybeexhausted.InvestinghugeoilandnaturalgasrevenuesintheSunCityprojectwillenabletheUAEtomaintainitsleadingpositioninthefieldofnewenergydevelopmentinthefuture."
Environmentalgoals
TheenvironmentalgoalsthatMasdarCitywantstoachieveareveryclear:zerocarbon,zerowasteandsustainabledevelopment.
100%oftheenergyoftheentirecitywillbeprovidedbyrenewableenergy,mainlysolarenergy.Theelectricenergyprovidedbysolarenergywillalsobeusedtodrivetherefrigerationsystemandoperatethedesalinationplant.
Theroofsofmostbuildingsinthecitywillbeusedtocollectsolarenergy,andtheoveralllayoutofthestreetwillcreatea"microzone"tomaintainaircirculationintheusualhumidclimate.99%ofthegarbageintheentirecityshallnotbedisposedofbylandfill,andwillberecycled,reusedorusedasfertilizerasmuchaspossible.Thetreesinthecityandthecropsplantedoutsidethecitywillbeirrigatedwithtreatedwastewatertoachievethegoalofsavingwaterby50%comparedtotheaveragecity.
MasdarCitywillbelayingalightrailtoAbuDhabi.Travelinthecityreliesonhumanizedandfastbuses.Startingfromanyplaceinthecity,thedistancetothenearesttransportationnetworkandconvenientfacilitiesisnomorethan200meters.Therefore,citizensdonotneedtodriveacartotravel.
Environmentalprotectionmeasures
Electricity:UsethehotdesertsunandtheseabreezeinthePersianGulftocreatewindandphotovoltaicpowerplants
Energy:Alargenumberofpalmtreesandmangrovesareplantedtoproducebio-energy
Watersaving:Sewagerecyclingandreuse,seawaterdesalinationanddesalination,reclaimedwatertoirrigategardensandfarms
Building:Limitedto5floors
Transportation:Publictramsreplacecars,thedistancetothenearesttransportationnetworkandconveniencefacilitiesNomorethan200meters
Environment:Surroundedbycanals,tree-linedwalkscrisscross,andgurglingwaterbringsacoolfeelingtoresidents
Urbanplanning：The12-meterhighwallmoat,basedonthetraditionalArabianopen-airbazaar,thestreetisinstalledwithsolarcollectorstoabsorbsolarenergy
Historicalsignificance
TheUAEistheworld’slargestpetrochemicalindustryOneoftheproductproducingcountrieshasinvestedintheconstructionoftheworld'sfirst"ZeroCarbonCity".Thiscontrastiseye-catching.
TheheadoftheWWF"LivingontheSamePlanet"projectJeanLenosaid:"AbuDhabiembarksonanewjourneytodaytobecomethecenteroftheglobalrenewableenergyrevolution."WWFItisoneofthesponsorsofMasdarCityConstructionPlan.
JeanLenosaid:"TheUAEisthefirstcountryintheproductionofpetrochemicalproductstotakeanimportantsteptowardssustainablesurvival.Masdarisamodelofthistransformation."