It’s hard not to get excited when reading about Masdar, Abu
Dhabi’s vision of a futuristic, carbon-neutral city. Driverless cars, extensive
use of solar power, an innovative research institute institution: it sounds
more like the plot of a bad movie than a realistic plan for a city. Yet Masdar
is slowly beginning to make these seemingly far-fetched goals a reality,
although some of its plans, such as getting all of its water through
desalinization and an extensive “Personal Rapid Transit pod” system, have
proven to be nearly impossible to implement (1).
While some express disappointment that Masdar has not lived
up to its initial expectations, what it has
accomplished is truly impressive (1). If the initial plan of the city had been
more conservative, the overall level of innovation would have been curtailed.
Better to set goals high and fall slightly short than to continue along with
the status quo until the current situation is no longer sustainable. Abu Dhabi
is serving itself well by planning for the future rather than being content
with its current status as a top oil-producer. Even if not every aspect of the
project has been realized, the gains that have been made have the potential to
be adopted, adapted, and implemented across the globe.
Masdar is not the only city attempting to capitalize on
renewable energy sources. A recent article in The Atlantic, “How Are Those
Cities of the Future Coming Along”, provides updates on Masdar as well as
similar ventures in Portugal, Kenya, and South Korea. All of the cities have
faced significant obstacles in the development process, largely as a result of financial
and bureaucratic issues, but each still shows great potential. PlanIT Valley,
Portugal’s attempt at a smart city, was delayed due to the Portuguese financial
crisis, but the company in charge of the project “will be testing some of its
new data toys at the London City Airport, where they will perform such miracles
as reducing security lines” (2).
Likewise, Kenya’s Konza Techno City stalled in June, yet a “recent press
release said construction was ‘on course’ to begin by the end of the year (2). Has
development been progressing as planned for these model cities? No. But despite
the myriad obstacles faced, each city is adapting to suboptimal conditions and
continuing onward toward their goals.
While we may still be decades away from fully populated “smart
cities,” it certainly seems possible that lessons learned from these projects
could have enormous impact on energy use around the world. Which components of
Masdar can be applied to more traditional cities? How can we encourage more
innovation with an eye to the future when it may be more economically feasible
to focus on current resources and needs?
Sources:
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