Size: 700 hectars; 40,000 residents; US$ 22 Billion

Completion Date: 2025

Description:

Located 17km from downtown Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Masdar City will be a model sustainable city of the future. The construction of the city is being powered by a 10MW photovoltaic park, although solar panels will also be placed on rooftops for an expected total of 130MW. It’s in the desert, where fresh water is scarce. A solar-powered desalination plant will be used to provide the city’s water needs, which is stated to be 60 percent lower than similarly-sized towns.  About 80% of water used will be recycled with grey water being used for crop irrigation and other purposes. The city also envisions being a zero waste community. Biological waste will be used as fertilizer, and industrial waste will be recycled or reused in a closed-loop system. Cars are prohibited, and people will get around in electric podcars using the coolest personal rail transit system I’ve seen.

More info: http://www.masdar.ae/en/

For more information on the growing green economy download the 2013 Green Transition Scoreboard® report. Masdar City is a government project, so it does not count toward the Scoreboard.