Sustainable City Race, Part 3: Dongtan

The final part in this series will take us to Dongtan, on Chongming Island outside of Shanghai in China. This eco-city is of a vastly different scale than Masdar, which we examined in part 2.

For their motivation, China has similar reasons to Masdar for investing in sustainable cities. They lay claim to 16 of the 20 most polluted cities according to Worldwatch Institute. Their population, consumption of raw materials, and levels of pollution are growing faster than many can comprehend. As such, Arup is developing four other sustainable cities across China, Dongtan just happens to be the first.

[Image: Scale of Dongtan relative to Manhattan and London. Courtesy of Plataforma Urbana.]

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 Dongtan Development.

To begin, this is a short flyover video of Dongtan, with sexy marketing music.

Even Toyota is getting involved in the marketing of Dongtan as part of their sustainable initiatives as a sponsor of this commercial. However, if you want something more informative, this video shows Peter Head, the director of sustainability at Arup, talking about Dongtan as an Eco-city. Then, to round out the overarching picture, you can find a thorough explanation of the geologic, climatic, and resource conditions of the site at Dongtan Development.

Thus, as an equally, if not more ambitious project than Masdar, Dongtan will occupy 86 square kilometers at the eastern tip of Chongming Island. The initial goals are geared toward the expo hosted by Shanghai in 2010. At this point they aim to have completed enough of the development for 10,000 inhabitants. The subsequent phases, however, will unravel over 20-30 years as they target a population of 500,000.

[Image: Map illustrating Dongtan’s relative location. Courtesy of Wired.]

It is designed to be a beautiful and truly sustainable city with a minimal ecological footprint. The goal to use Dongtan as a template for future urban design. As China is planning to build no less than 400 new cities in the next twenty years, Dongtan’s success is of crucial importance.

-World Business Council of Sustainable Development

Within this broader objective for Dongtan, some takeaway points are:

• 86 square kilometer site on third largest island at the mouth of the Yangtze River
• migratory stop to the rare bird, black-faced spoonbill
• project utilizes ‘managed’ and ‘natural’ wetlands
• will include a network of cycle and footpaths
• fuel-celled buses and solar-powered water taxis will form public transit
• connected to Shanghai and mainland with 15.6 mile bridge and tunnel
• energy plant will burn rice husks, normally just waste, near the city center
• 60 percent of energy from renewable sources by 2010, 100 percent by 2030
• only 40 percent of land area will be built upon

[Image: Ecological zoning map of Dongtan. Courtesy of Plataforma Urbana.]

[Image: Renderings of Dongtan, an eco-city by Arup near Shanghai. Courtesy of WAN.]

[Image: One of the marinas in Dongtan’s landscape. Courtesy of urban-ism.]

The first phase of Dongtan has planned for the formation of three villages, each with their own character, that will form a town. Each town has two economic centers, one at the core and one at the periphery. This is part of the planning for later phases. As more towns are added with peripheral economic development, these zones will begin to overlap forming the economic core for the city of Dongtan.

Connecting the towns of Dongtan will be several modes of sustainable transit. However, the density of development filling in between these networks will be about half that of Masdar. Rather than a 200m limit set by Masdar, Dongtan is aiming for 7 minutes or less of travel time. Measured in distance, this roughly tranlates to 500m.

The players behind this project are more standard for urban development than the three member team of Masdar. The financier/developer is Shanghai Industrial Investment Corporation (SIIC) and the planner, as mentioned, is Arup. The unique aspect of this group lies within Arup, and the structure of a new group within their planning division.

…an ambitious new initiative at Arup, a kind of skunkworks, organized around something the firm called “integrated urbanism.” Instead of focusing on something like water or stadiums or waste management, this team would pull expertise from every corner of the firm. If the idea worked, Arup could get in earlier on big planning projects. This way it could help design cities that work better — not just as grids or transport networks or skylines but as ecosystems engineered from the start to foil gridlock, energy waste, pollution, even economic inequality.

- WIRED

[Image: Renderings of Dongtan, an eco-city by Arup near Shanghai. Courtesy of WAN.]

[Image: Dongtan will utilize canals, lakes, and marinas to manage the landscape. Courtesy of urban-ism.]

ENVIRONMENTALLY, this development is remarkably different than Masdar due to site implications. Chongming Island formed over one thousand years ago due to the build up of silt at the mouth of the Yangtze River. That growth continues today, as the island grows in length at a rate of 100m per year. This growth pattern also means that the island has a significant area of wetlands that are home to several rare migratory birds.

It is precisely these conditions that Arup has structured the development of Dongtan. In terms of land use, there will be ‘natural’ wetlands and ‘managed’ wetlands. The managed wetlands will serve as a buffer between the urban areas and natural habitats of the wildlife.

The preservation of wildlife and agriculture has been one of the driving factors of the city’s design. Ecological management and the protection of Dongtan’s wetlands, migrating birds and other wildlife, including seven endangered species, are key goals to the planners and designers of the city…

Arup plans to enhance the existing wetlands by returning agricultural land to its original wetland state to create a buffer-zone between the city and the wetland, with the buffer’s narrowest point being 3.5 kilometers wide. Only around 40 percent of the land area of Dongtan will be built upon, and the city’s design aims to prevent pollutants from reaching the adjacent wetland area.

-Green Building Press

However, this is still a little specific in terms of the goals of their design. Arup is really focused on the city’s ecological footprint*, which is…

a concept that measures how much land and water area a population requires to produce the resources it consumes and to absorb its wastes under prevailing technology.

A conventional city footprint would be 2.332 earths per gross acre of development, while an integrated eco-city approach uses 1.04 earths per gross acre of development. Shanghai uses about 2.332, while New York uses almost 9 and Houston uses a little over 12.

- Green Building Press

This is a significant theory, in part because it is quantifiable, but also because this means Dongtan must use less than half the resources of Shanghai, it’s neighbor. Thus, Arup has focused on renewable resources, treating and reusing waste, and locally harvested food.

[Image: Cartoon illustrating a city’s ecological footprint. Courtesy of EFSE.]

Briefly, some of the specific methods include: greenroofs as natural insulation, a dual water network serving clean water to kitchens and treated water to toilets and irrigation, shared zero-emission commercial delivery trucks, recycling solid waste, composting organic waste, building of local materials, and wind turbines among many others.

Finally, Arup has overcome a cultural tradition to incorporate an important low-tech strategy. They have convinced the client to rotate the city grid slightly off the north-south axis to utilize cool breezes for natural ventilation. This is a significant gesture, because it violates traditional Chinese planning that results from the practice of feng shui.

*For more information on ecological footprints; an article covering the economic and environmental impacts of our ecological footprint, and a 2005 study on Europe’s ecological footprint.

SOCIALLY, we must first address the last environmental improvement above. If locals are not willing to live in a city that violates their way of life, then you may end up with an ‘empty’ sustainable city. I do not have the ability to predict the impact this will have on the culture, but Arup should be very aware of the Huangbaiyu development.**

Let’s assume this will not be an issue since the client has ceded to the strategy. In that case, I think the overall plans of Dongtan have tremendous capacity to be socially sustainable.

First, no vehicles will be permitted in the city that have particulate emissions, such as gas or diesel powered cars. This, however, does not prevent automobiles with alternative fuels or fuel cells from entering. This is more of an environmental initiative, but it has positive social implications in reference to Masdar. The ‘restricted use’ rule means that not only will inhabitants be permitted the freedom of a personal vehicle, but will also live in a much quieter atmosphere. Free from the noise pollution of engines, “Dongtan will be a quiet place. So you can open windows and ventilate buildings,” according to Peter Head.

Second, this “development is striving to represent other Chinese cities with a 50/50 ratio of lease to ownership,” according to the Green Building Press. This will hopefully go a long way toward creating a diverse population, a keystone for the definition of a city. Whether that affordable housing is still too expensive, preventing the expansion of the socio-economic spectrum, remains to be seen.

**If we look to another attempt in China to achieve sustainable feats, we find a sad story in Huangbaiyu. In this village, William McDonough had the opportunity to apply his “cradle-to-cradle” theory in China. However, general opinion deems the project a failure on many counts. A great chronicle of the shortcomings seen in this development can be found at Frontline.

ECONOMICALLY, this aspect of affordable housing may be it’s potential downfall.

Construction on the island is to start in September. Even with 20% of projected dwellings set aside for affordable housing, the farmers living here say it will be too pricey for them to stay. Dongtan “won’t help me,” says Peng Shouyong, who makes about $700 a year raising pigs, growing crops and breeding crabs on the island. “But China needs it.”

- USA Today

Regardless, I’m inclined to think this development will still have enough diversity, especially if we consider a total population of 500,000.

Dongtan’s strength lies in their phasing. This development has a 20-30 year construction schedule, whereas Masdar has an 8-10 year span. This not only offers flexibility when it comes to funding, but also allows the development to adapt and utilize future technologies. Infrastructure will likely be in place, but localized equipment and devices will be targets.

As far as projected costs, I have only found that estimates for the first phase are $1.3 billion. However, given the length of the development and the total population targets, I imagine the billions spent will be well into the double digits.

The strategies for offsetting costs will likely take two courses. In the short run, Dongtan will mostly benefit as a tourist attraction for the investors with it’s limited number of inhabitants. In the long run, Dongtan should see wealth accumulation in the standard manner of a metropolis. The flow of goods, services, information, and people will drive the economy of 500,000 people. Furthermore, Dongtan has similar R&D goals in the future of sustainability as Masdar. They hope that today and tomorrow’s leaders will grow from this location, benefiting from the economic windfall of intellectual property along the way.

ARCHITECTURALLY, I think it is more difficult to judge this city than Masdar. Perhaps this is the difference between an architect and an engineer as the master planner, but this doesn’t mean Dongtan suffers as a consequence. Masdar had to create it’s own identity in the desert, Dongtan is working from the natural boundaries of the site. Masdar uses architectural elements such as the ‘wall,’ and organizes systems within a geometric framework. Dongtan carves the site with organic elements such as canals and lakes, and organization happens within a site-responsive framework.

Perhaps, it is best said by one of the lead Arup engineers, Alejandro Guitierrez…

[Dongtan] outlines the world’s first green city, every block engineered in response to China’s environmental crisis. It’s like the source code for an urban operating system. We’re not focused on the form, we’re focused on the performance of the form.

Thus, we have an architecture of performance. The only real architectural impact at this point is building height, but even then it is a result of site conditions.

the land made the decision for them. Dongtan’s soil is squishy. Any building taller than about eight stories would need expensive work at the foundation to keep it upright. To give the place some variety and open up paths for summer wind and natural light, they settled on a range of four to eight stories across the city.

- WIRED

[Image: Rendering of housing and park space along one of Dongtan’s canals. Courtesy of WAN.]

[Image: Rendering of housing and vegetation around one of Dongtan’s ponds. Courtesy of WAN.]

URBANISTICALLY, it appears quite picturesque, but perhaps too much so. My first question is, will people actually want to stand, walk, or bike under these wind turbines that line the foot and cycle paths. They just don’t appear too friendly to be that close to the population. But given the following…

Instead of sketching out the look of a future city, Gutierrez would avoid form altogether. He’d focus on coming up with the rules and standards Arup would follow to deliver a city.

- WIRED

… let’s ignore this perception and focus on their urban strategies.

Their first decision was big. Dongtan needed more people. Way more. Shanghai’s planning bureau figured 50,000 people should live on the site — they assumed a green island should not be crowded — and the other international architects had agreed, drafting Dongtan as an American-style suburb with low-rise condos scattered across the plot and lots of lawns and parks in between. “It’s all very nice to have little houses in a green field,” Gutierrez says. But that would be an environmental disaster. If neighborhoods are spread out, then people need cars to get around. If population is low, then public transportation is a money loser.

- WIRED

This, to me, is very exciting. It seems to be in stark contrast with the smaller and/or self-contained strategies seen elsewhere. Utilizing the benefits from the economies of scale, I think a city can be both more economically and environmentally sustainable. There is, however, a limit on marginal benefit, where more people begin to have a negative impact. Wisely, Arup performed a critical step by researching the ideal city size…

The team found research on energy consumption in cities around the world, plotted on a curve according to population density. Up to about 50 residents per acre, roughly equivalent to Stockholm or Copenhagen, per capita energy use falls fast. People walk and bike more, public transit makes economic sense, and there are ways to make heating and cooling more efficient. But then the curve flattens out. Pack in 120 people per acre, like Singapore, or 300 people, like Hong Kong, and the energy savings are negligible. Dongtan, the team decided, should try to hit that sweet spot around Stockholm.

- WIRED

For me, though, the renderings only provide a glimpse of the scenic portions of Dongtan, and for good reason, but I would like to get a feel for the urban character and quality. Despite that, it appears to be a very viable strategy on paper.

As I conclude, I want to remind you of the diagram in part 1, illustrating the three points toward sustainable development.

[Image: Venn diagram illustrating the path to sustainable development. Courtesy of CIRIA.]

In my opinion, Dongtan comes really close to this on paper, in large part from the mindset of the project leader, Alejandro Guitierrez…

The sustainable city that we want to build promotes innovation and incremental changes in the social, economic and environmental ways. The main operations conceive such infrastructures as carriers: social infrastructure as support for social mobility, inclusion and competitiveness; economic infrastructure as a support for incentives that promote a sustainable economic base and competitiveness; and environmental infrastructure, including support for quality of life. Finally, the physical infrastructure must be flexible to support and facilitate other infrastructure. [translated]

With respect to these lofty goals and Dongtan’s viability, another interesting notion to consider as SIIC puts $1.3 billion into this project…

Global warming is raising ocean levels so fast, Yang says, that the eco-city and Chongming Island could eventually “disappear because of climate change.”

- USA Today

This island setting also creates a similar situation to Masdar. Much like my issues with Masdar’s wall, Dongtan is restricted by a natural boundary. On the positive side, this allows Arup to conceive of the city as a ‘closed system,’ but it still creates a controlled environment. However, I’m slightly less disturbed, if at all, by Dongtan as a bound development. Perhaps it’s the phasing strategy over 30 years, that can allow for realistic growth and proper calibration of these systems. Maybe it’s the shear size of the development that speaks more to our general idea of cities than at Masdar. Overall, though, it seems more like an existing condition, in the way that San Francisco sits in the bay area. For this reason, I’m very excited to see how Dongtan develops.

Finally, this comparison leaves me with the following questions…

How do these developments account for the decreased efficiency of equipment and electronics over time as they strive to be carbon neutral?

Why are the two firms directing this movement from London? Is it a coincidence or a mindset of the city?

These sustainable cities look for Utopian solutions while smaller, broad changes to existing buildings and cities will have a larger and more immediate impact. How are our utopian fantasies trumping the culture of instant gratification?

Most importantly, which of these cities, developers, and planners have the tenacity, luck, and concept to overcome adversity, bureaucracy, and economic roller-coasters?

Also in the sustainable city race series…

Part 1: Sustainable City Definition
Part 2: Masdar

Related Links

Eco City design to be reviewed in Birmingham, Green Building Press
Pop-Up Cities: China Builds a Bright Green Metropolis, WIRED

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