Carbon-free green city planned near Shanghai

On an island near Shanghai, China formed by the accumulation of, silt shared with a protected bird habitat, will rise a city that is free of greenhouse gas emissions and gas-powered vehicles with an emphasis on energy-efficient design, waste reduction strategies, and renewable energy.

Dongtan, a 21,250-acre eco city, is being developed by Shanghai Industrial Investment Corporation as a leading example of green development in China.

Transportation
– All vehicles within the city will be powered by battery or fuel cell.
– Visitors will park their automobiles outside the city.
– All housing is to be placed no farther than a seven-minute walk from public transportation
– Most residents are expected to work in Dongtan.
– Bicycle paths, pedestrian routes, a tram system, hydrogen fuel-cell buses, and water taxis will provide alternative forms of transportation.

Energy
– Up to 90% of all waste will be recovered.
– A combined heat and power plant will run on biomass, including municipal solid waste and sewage and rice husks left over from area rice mills.
– Wind farms and buildings with their own photovoltaic cells and micro-wind turbines will provide additional energy.

– Food will be provided by high-yield production using waste heat and the carbon of the biomass for energy generation systems.

The population is expected to reach 5,000 by 2010, 80,000 by 2020, and a half million by 2050, in the form of three compact villages.

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