UAE | Environment
Masdar City will be self sustainable and have underground transport system
Facility will house 40,000 residents and produce renewable energy.
- By Emmanuelle Landais, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:06 January 22, 2008
Dubai: Masdar City has been one man's chance to design on a clean sheet, 'a sustainable city of the most ambitious undertaking', said Lord Foster, chairman and founder of Foster and Partners, the masterplanners behind Abu Dhabi's zero waste, zero carbon city.
"The biggest challenge is to realise the very ambitious goals set. We've learnt from traditional architecture about spacing and shading, however, less desirable quarters have been demolished as they don't answer the needs of the people in terms of access and mobility," Lord Foster told Gulf News in an exclusive phone interview on Tuesday.
The focus of the World Future Energy Summit this week, Masdar City incorporates an underground personal rapid transport system to take people in and around the community as it will be inaccessible to cars.
Lord Norman Foster, 73, founded Foster and Partners in London in 1967. Over the past 40 years the company has created a wide range of work, from urban masterplans, public infrastructure, airports, civic and cultural buildings. Masdar City is their third project in the UAE.
"Designing a city rather than inheriting a city, with keeping in mind access and keeping it pedestrian-friendly gives you the chance to create a community with very good connections," he said.
"It is better when you can look at infrastructure and mobility as well as the sustainability of buildings, the transport of people and goods as well. Making that connection can make inroads in sustainable communities which have never been done before," said Lord Foster.
Masdar City will be a walled city for a population of 40,000 residents. Outside the perimeter walls land will be used to produce renewable energy for the city and any extra will, for the first time in the Middle East go back to the national grid.
Lord Foster will give the closing keynote speech on Thursday at 4.45pm in Hall 5.
Share this article
Popular in UAE
-
Your pictures
Readers' pictures
The best reader pictures from around the UAE this week
Latest news
- Sharjah book fair officially opens
- Help me find my precious cat
- AG expresses confidence in public prosecution's skills
- Meet to discuss ways to secure energy supplies
- Deyaar case: Expert asked to submit detailed report i
- Institute adopts best judicial practices
- Masters in construction law to address sector's concerns
- New council to strike demographic balance
- Technology can negatively affect girls: forum
- Dubai-based British athlete attempts to swim around Palm in record bid
- Steppe Eagle flies back home after enjoying UAE hospitality
- Heavy vehicle speed limits may be introduced
- Private schools form lobby group
- Green moves make desalting plant less damaging
- First well in relief project to honour scientist
Community Reports
-
Help me find my precious cat
Raif, my cute eight-month-old ‘fur ball', went missing in Abu Dhabi's Al Bateen area last month
-
Pavement parking irks pedestrians
Gulf News reader calls on authorities to step in and stop car owners from invading pathways meant for safe walking
-
Faded parking lines pose a problem
Motorists could be fined for parking incorrectly even though they can hardly see the boundaries in the designated areas
-
School buses block residential parking
Commercial vehicles taking up free parking facilities in Al Wuheida, inconveniencing residents in surrounding villas
