Work has begun on Masdar City; the first eco-friendly, car-free, waste-free, and carbon-free city. The Abu Dhabi metropolis will cost about £11.3bn ($22bn) to build and is expected to house 50,000 inhabitants and 1,500 businesses after its completion in 2016.

Masdar will only need a quarter of the energy used by other cities its size, and even that will be solar energy. Current green architecture plans, including rotating towers, will be implemented and the city will rely on emission–free public transport in the form of pods on magnetic tracks. Natural air conditioning will be provided from wind towers, water will be provided through a solar-powered desalination plant, and Abu Dhabi will become home to the world’s largest hydrogen power plant.

The project will be funded by the Masdar Initiative and other sources. It is hoped that the project will encourage joint ventures and promote greener cities. While Masdar City is supported by the WWF and many look forward to its outcomes, some remain skeptical about the motives behind the project.

Source