Masdar City's masterplan design meshes the century-old learnings of traditional Arabic urban planning and architecture with leading-edge technologies to create a sustainable, high-quality living environment for all residents. The City will be built in seven carefully designed phases, incorporating the latest technological advances generated in its cleantech cluster and globally.
The passive design element incorporated into the Masterplan is of vital importance. Low-rise, high-density neighbourhood's increases shading which reduces our dependency on our energy systems. The City's Northeast/Southwest orientation maximizes cool breezes flowing from the gulf during the day and the cool airs flowing from the desert at night. Natural wind towers and day shading on the roofs are heavily incorporated into the overall design.
Unlike many cities that are built primarily around the accommodation of automotive traffic, Masdar City will offer transportation solutions which will significantly reduce environmental impact without sacrificing ease of movement. As potential transportation solutions Masdar is considering light rail transit (LRT), personal rapid transit (PRT), car parking (at the edge of Masdar City), and associated logistics. Masdar will also consider developing a logistics centre at the edge of Masdar City that will act as the receiving centre for inbound and outbound goods, and distribute these to residents via energy-efficient means.
To achieve sustainability and carbon neutrality objectives, Masdar City will adopt modern and reliable modes of transport that promote limited use of personal cars by commuters and visitors.
Potential examples include:
- A PRT system that will guarantee passenger privacy in a way similar to a car by ensuring that, once boarded, no other passengers will board a vehicle along the route.
- An LRT system passing through the city as part of the main planned Abu Dhabi LRT system. This system would play a key role in transporting commuters and visitors to Masdar City and would enhance the link between its main boundaries.
- Parking spaces that would be dedicated to commuters (external) and visitors as well as to residents (internal).
- Logistics network composed of discrete logistic components that are required to ensure availability of goods and materials in the city. This network would deliver best in class logistics services within Masdar city while balancing quality of services delivered.
Energy services in Masdar City will be provided to City residents and tenant companies under a framework that is competitive, financially sound and sustainable in nature. Creating a carbon neutral city relies on sustainability practices that promote and motivate changes to customer behavior.
Energy assets that will be developed in the city include:
- Photovoltaic Power Generation
- Concentrated Solar Power
- Evacuated Thermal Tube Collectors (ETC)
- Geothermal
- Grid Management (Electrical Power and Water Distribution)
- Waste to Energy (W2E)
The water that will be provided to City residents will be:
- Safe, cleaned to the highest levels, and reliable for drinking, irrigation, and reuse
- Managed on-site using advanced water and wastewater treatment schemes
- Predominantly supplied (>60%) by recycled water
Water related assets that will be developed in the city include:
- Water Desalination / Potable water network
- Grey Water & Sewerage Treatment Wet Utility Distribution(Grey, Black and Recycled Water)
Strict guidelines will be followed when handling waste generated in the city:
- Waste will be managed through an integrated, user-friendly, invisible and odorless system
- Less than 2% of the waste generated will end in landfills
- Energy will be recovered from materials that have reached the end of their useful life
- Composting systems will be used for biodegradable waste
Waste related assets developed in the city include:
- Waste Collection, Waste Handling & Recycling
- Waste to Energy (W2E)
ICT in Masdar City will achieve three goals:
- Maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of City management services
- Enrich the daily experience of residents, businesses and visitors through provision of a vast array of technology services
- Enable residents and businesses to interact with Masdar City in the most effective manner
The ICT services in Masdar City will therefore need to make a significant contribution to the daily lives of its residents. ICT should add tangible value through enabling more efficient deployment of services (e.g. demand-managed scheduling of PRTs, recipient-based scheduling of logistics deliveries and enhanced monitoring of facilities to reduce consumption), and intangible value (e.g. providing relevant and accurate information to citizens, enhancing entertainment and keeping citizens informed about the environmental progress agenda). It also needs to be highly interconnected thereby enhancing the experience of living in Masdar City.
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