Sustainable City Race, Part 2: Masdar
Today, the sustainable city race takes us to Abu Dhabi who, according to the Guardian, “are responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions per capita than any other population in the world.” In 2006, they acted to change this. As the world’s leading polluter, they are attempting to position themselves as a global leader in sustainability with the Masdar Initiative.
[Image: Map of Abu Dhabi within the United Arab Emirates. Courtesy of UT.]
The first development under the Masdar Initiative is Foster + Partners‘ master plan of a carbon neutral, zero-waste community. Launched at the Cityscape 2007 conference, this project aims to achieve the title of the world’s first sustainable city.
If you missed Part 1 of the ’sustainable city race’ series, we covered the definition of a sustainable city as one that must meet three conditions of sustainability - environmental, social, and economic. From this premise, we will investigate the Masdar Development.
Before we begin, take the time to watch the following promotional / informational video for the Masdar Initiative.
An ambitious project beginning in 2009, with construction expected to last 8-10 years, it is particularly challenging considering it is being attempted in the desert environment (summer temperatures reach 50C, or 120F) of Abu Dhabi. As such, some takeaway points of this development become:
- 6 million square meters of development
- powered by a photovoltaic plant
- utilizes a perimeter wall, drawing from traditional planning
- car-free city served by three levels of transport
- imposes the condition of a 200m maximum distance to transport
- shaded streets and courtyards to promote a pedestrian-friendly environment
- served by locally harvested resources
- accommodate 47,500 inhabitants, 60,000 commuters, and 1,500 businesses
- buildings will be no taller than 5 stories
- narrow streets will transverse the site, averaging 10 feet
[Image: Aerial rendering of Masdar development by Foster + Partners. Courtesy of WAN.]
[Image: Aerial and street rendering of Masdar. Courtesy of Foster + Partners.]
[Image: Shaded street rendering of Masdar. Courtesy of Foster + Partners.]
A very interesting aspect of this development stems from the partnerships steering this project. The Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company is providing the financial support, the World Wildlife Fund is providing the sustainable concepts, and Foster + Partners are providing the master plan. Thus, it would appear that this group would be able to address all three conditions of a sustainable city with a strong level of responsibility and accountability.
ENVIRONMENTALLY, this development is proceeding from 7 of WWF’s 10 key concepts of sustainable living. These concepts are then supported by the Masdar Institute, which has partnered with MIT, and from Foster + Partners’ own sustainable work.
- Zero carbon
- Zero waste
- Sustainable transport
- Local and sustainable materials
- Local and sustainable food
- Sustainable water
- Natural habitats and wildlife
Hi-tech initiatives include the photovoltaic plant, built first to help supply energy for the rest of construction. A desalination plant, operating 80 percent more efficiently than those existing, will recycle the entire site’s supply of water. An elevated personal transit system will move people within the development, rather than cars.
Low-tech initiatives include a north-east to south-west orientation. This takes advantage of cool breezes and natural air-conditioning from wind towers that capture cool air and flush out hot air. Building separation will be tightened, think casbah (1, 2), combined with 5 story height restrictions creating a traditional means of climate adaptation. Finally, the re-use of waste and composting will help divert nearly 100% of waste from landfills.
Of course, this project also aims to use local and reusable materials, but we’ll see if those materials are actually sustainable once we see how many places the raw material travels to be prepared for construction.
SOCIALLY, there appear to be goals of maintaining the local culture through the planning and architecture of Masdar. This could be superficial if the majority of inhabitants are foreign to Abu Dhabi though.
This does not mean the development should not be contextually responsive, but how do you begin to define what culture to respond to?
At least from a moral point of view, they have adopted a standard of fair wages for all who are employed to help build the city. However, they have not addressed a fair wage policy for businesses and services once the development is up and running.
The other important factor I have not been able to find information on is housing affordability. If you remember from the SustainLane study in Part 1, this is where the leading sustainable cities had the highest failure. If Abu Dhabi does not structure a diverse housing program, this development will not be able to accommodate the broad socioeconomic spectrum. That would be a serious failure in social sustainability.
ECONOMICALLY, this project can only be about the long run with cost estimates around $22 billion. Abu Dhabi is investing $4 billion of its own, and looking to borrow the rest. However, they are also implementing ‘fundraising’ in an unprecedented manner and scale. They are selling carbon emission offsets to companies that do not meet local standards.
In the meantime, Masdar will be supplying the local and global economy with thousands of jobs in both the construction and service industries. The Masdar headquarters alone is helping build an office for Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill Architects out of Chicago.
Also serving as home to the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, this should serve as a stimulus for future economic support. If Masdar can situate itself as a leader in sustainable technologies, then it will be in high demand for the foreseeable future. Both the products and expertise could be leveraged to provide a financial foundation upon which Masdar can continue to operate.
ARCHITECTURALLY, I think it works quite well. The square gives us a form we can recognize and rationalize. It also allows Foster to break that form down into smaller systems that replicate from a similar infrastructural DNA. Furthermore, it becomes a simple, uniform background upon which one can juxtapose form, creating contrast and unique spaces.
[Image: Plan rendering of Masdar development by Foster + Partners. Courtesy of WAN.]
Equally successful is the perimeter. The moment it is defined as a ’smart’ wall, it becomes a robust and defining object. It protects the community from harsh, desert winds, and services the community through the housing of it’s water filtration system.
On the other hand, an aesthetic reading is impossible to render for the time being. Despite the imagery that Foster+Partners has created, many of these buildings will be designed by other architects, as they should be. Let’s hope that firms with a sensitivity to culture and sustainable issues will continue to be chosen. At least Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill are providing a high standard at the outset.
URBANISTICALLY, it seems to be a sound orchestration of infrastructure. To be zero-carbon, however, I’m sure efficiency has to be a mantra for all parties involved.
In place of cars will be a three level system of transportation. At the lowest level will be train service connecting Abu Dhabi, Masdar, and the international airport. Next, would be pedestrians at ground level which is the responsible urban gesture. Finally, a personal rapid transit system would dart back and forth overhead.
Personally, all I can imagine are the inter-terminal trains/cars at airports, so I’m not really sure I understand this last concept yet.
At a finer grain, the streets appear to have a 10 foot width rule. This should help mitigate the overbearing heat, but I am curious to see how the hierarchy of transportation systems and streets develops to create a strong urban character. To be honest, the viability of the project could hinge on this and whether people are willing to go outside because they have taken away the liberty of cars in a development that is 6 square kilometers. This could get interesting.
[Image: Overview map of high speed rail. Courtesy of Systematica.]
After all that, the major problem I have with this development is the walled concept, despite my praise above. Granted, this comes from notions of traditional planning, environmental mitigation, and socially sustainable ideas, I think it limits the concept far more than it helps. A perimeter wall suggests isolation and a level of fixity, two words that work against the very notion of sustainability.
If we think about sustainability as melding with natural processes by mimicking them, then we must account for change, calibration, and equilibrium. A walled off square suggests this concept cannot grow beyond its boundary. It also suggests this can only work as a controlled experiment, the opposite of natural systems.
If you want to rationalize, you could say we are in an experimental phase with the need for controlled environments of sustainable practices. Well, I still like to see the thought process focus on these ideas as the genetic DNA for a sustainable future. If we are experimenting, gives us a means, not a 6 square kilometer end.
Finally, if interested, check out this roundtable discussion put together by Treehugger to see other’s reactions. From which, I would like to end my spotlight on Masdar with a statement from Richard Register, of Ecocity Views…
How could it possibly be [sustainable]? What on Earth could they mean by that? Maybe massive solar energy, once established, could run artificially refrigerated environments on the sun’s energy, partially shaded, solar cooled greenhouses producing food, fish farms also run on solar, boats on solar electricity and on and on after massive investments. But the kind of synthetic life there would seem unbearable to anyone who loves natural animals or plants. Very weird.
Will this be just another failed utopian experiment?
Also in the sustainable city race series…
Part 1: Sustainable City Definition
Part 3: Dongtan
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