Abu Dhabi unveils carbon-neutral city

Oil-rich emirate Abu Dhabi has unveiled its plans for a car-less, zero-carbon, zero-waste city in the desert.

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, second from right, gives U.S. President George W. Bush, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley and U.S. Ambassador to UAE Michele Sison a tour of the Masdar Exhibition at the Emirates Palace Hotel on Jan. 14.
(Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press)

A model of Masdar City was formally unveiled at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi on Monday. The city, designed by British architect Norman Foster, is designed to house 1,500 businesses and 50,000 people.

The location of the six-square-kilometre site, close to Abu Dhabi's airport, is a harsh environment, with no access to fresh water and temperatures that reach 50 C in the summer. But the project's sponsors, who include the World Wildlife Federation, said the project would incorporate a mix of current technology and ancient methods to beat the heat.

Masdar City's electricity will be generated by solar panels, with solar power driving the city's cooling systems and a desalination plant needed to produce fresh water. The city's layout will also create micro-climates, or zones of different temperatures, to encourage air circulation.

Masdar City has also been designed to be car-free, with public transportation — through a light railway and personalized rapid transport pods — never more than 200 metres away, according to architecture firm Foster + Partners. [for more click on the heading]