Lessons Learned
“We are honoured to be working on the quest for the world's first sustainable city - and we are excited to be able to review the project at this important moment - with the benefit of many lessons learned over the past three years. Masdar has far reaching significance as a test-bed and an integrated urban research project of unprecedented scale and ambition. It shows a commitment to infrastructure at the highest political level that is vital for the future of cities, demonstrating the potential for significant reductions in terms of energy consumption, with lessons for wider, global application. I very much hope that by example it will encourage other bold initiatives around the world.”
- Lord Foster
What can we learn about sustainability from this project?
‘When Masdar City was first announced in 2007 by the Masdar Initiative, it claims that, when completed, it will become the world’s first zero carbon, zero waste development, while maintaining the highest quality of living.’[1] If it succeeds, Masdar will offer an example for all future urban developments. This drive for sustainability extends to all areas of the development, in an integrated efficient master plan. Fundamentally this shows what can be achieved when from the sustainability is at the forefront of planning from the beginning of a project. The direction it has taken, replacing dependencies on fossil fuels to using and developing renewable energy is a promising and exciting prospect. Abu Dhabi is the biggest and richest emirate of United Arab Emirates. It holds 80% of United Arab Emirates’ s oil reserves. However the oil wealth on which it has grown from is an industry of the past. Abu Dhabi’s government has promised to reduce local reliance on oil and set up long-term goals to create growth and diversity in the economy. Masdar city presents a fundamental message to the world that we cannot rely on past un-renewable resources, and must change the urban modal now. It shows that a high quality, low energy life is possible, where economic growth is a direct result.
How might it be transferred wholly or in part to other locations?
Norman Foster in his biographical film ‘How much does your building weigh, Mr Foster?’ describes a passionate enthusiasm for Masdar’s motive and urban modal. Foster does however, have one key criticism, which is questioning why Masdar is the only large-scale project to be taking this initiative. Foster says if we are truly to combat global warming, it will not simply require one Masdar City, but hundreds should be being built all other the world where new cities and urban developments are being built. In this way, although Masdar possesses localized technologies and designs appropriate for the climate and culture, the essence of the project as a zero-carbon, zero-waste development should be seen as a global goal for all new developments.
One key element, which has stopped this project being replicated, is that new built cities from scratch require committed and significant funding. Many of the new cities being built in Third World countries simply do not have the money to do this. Only when sustainablility is as cheap as other methods of construction, then can the new urban modal be replicated in poorer countries. What’s needed are ways to retrofit and upgrade the world’s existing cities. Masdar will hopefully show some new initiatives to make this possible.
How might the project have been done differently?
The Masdar Inititative have aimed for the city to possess evolutionary qualities, as the master plan has been designed from the outset to be highly flexible, in order to anticipate and incorporate emergent technologies, as well as to respond to lessons learnt during the implementation of the previous phases of the four phase project.
Success or failure?
It is as of yet, still too early to determine whether Masdar City will become a success or failure. However, looking at the buildings built so far, we can see glimpses of what the city will be like. The first six buildings of the Masdar Institute, where students and faculty moved into the new facility in September 2010, shows that residential units use 54% less water and 51% less electricity than average residencies in the United Arab Emirates. 30% of electricity demand is provided by rooftop photovoltaic panels and 75% of the buildings' hot water is provided by rooftop thermal collectors.
One significant drawback for the project following a comprehensive project review is a monetary scale back on the $22 billion set for the clean energy city. This is a direct result of the current financial crisis, and will most significantly concern the renewable energy supply and the city's futuristic transportation system. The progress was slowed by the crisis and a revised project timeline was conceived. Completion date for phase 1, which includes a million square meters of development, was pushed back by about 2 years to 2015, where completion is expected between 2020 and 2025.
The city's growth and power demand is expected to outstrip the development of clean energy production. One solution has been to resort to purchasing renewable energy from other regions. Another problem around energy supply has been to do with the PV plant. The largest PV plant in the Middle East has been constructed, in order to create initial power to be used for construction of the buildings and city. Problems, which existed, consisted mainly of a dust build-up. Whirling dust storms in August 2009, with “suspended dust in the air between 1,500 to 2,000 parts per million,” decreased solar productivity by 40%. The panels had to be washed at great expense.
Transport
By designing a pedestrianized city, and through the introduction of Personal Rapid Transit (PRT), Freight Rapid Transit (FRT), and other new transport technologies, Masdar will revolutionize and redefine urban transport. Free of conventional cars, the city will rely on state-of-the-art electrical PRT cars tied in to a higher-speed and longer route light rail system (LRT). Masdar will be a city where people can live and work without the need of a personal vehicle, in a multi-level, barrier-free environment.
Transport Problems
1. In peak hours it may not be as efficient as a system based on buses, during off peak hours it is much more efficient than running buses all night. This was an important factor in the planning of the system, as an “on demand” system that is a 24 hour service was needed.2. The PRT system is a prototype, and will therefore be expensive to implement.
3. The PRT system is suited to new developments like Masdar City where the system’s designers were able to work together with the town planners to plan the placement of roads and land uses to maximize the system’s effectiveness. In this way it would be difficult to implement in existing cities.
Summary
‘We have changed profoundly…with technologies now merged into our very being, and the experience of nature becoming ever more distant.’[2]
- Girardet, H
City growth is changing the condition of humanity and the face of the earth. As the city model changes, new technologies and methods need to be employed. Masdar City undoubtedly possesses this modal for change.
Masdar City is a challenging project, where changes will undoubtedly happen along the way, but if the project initiators continue with strong support for the project, the objectives will be achieved. Based on its far-reaching aims as a large-scale test-bed, Masdar will certainly pave the way for greener developments across the globe and will act as baseline for others to develop upon.
