The Eco City masterplan
The Chinese government intends Dongtan to be a demonstration eco-city and has appointed engineering consultancy ARUP to design it. It is being developed by Shanghai Industrial Investment Corporation (SIIC) with the backing of the Mayor of Shanghai. The financing for the project is expected to be announced in 2008.
Dongtan from the Yangtze river
The island will be linked to the mainland by an 18-mile long bridge and tunnel, which is due for completion in 2009, and which will provide road and rail access between Dongtan and Shanghai.
Compared to a ‘business as usual’ development model, Dongtan eco-city aims to have:
• a 60% smaller ecological footprint
• a 66% reduction in energy demand
• 40% energy from bio-energy
• 100% renewable energy for in-use buildings & on-site transport
• waste to landfill down by 83%
• almost no carbon emissions |
A visitors’ centre located close to the energy centre will explain how cities can be sustainable in energy terms. Residents will be provided with information to encourage them to conserve energy by means such as smart metering and financial incentives.
Delivering the Concept
The first phase of Dongtan is planned to be completed by 2010 when the World Expo will held in Shanghai. Its focus will be 'Better Cities Better Life'. By then, Dongtan aims to be housing 5,000 people. Later phases of development will see the city grow to hold a population of around 80,000 by 2020 and up to 500,000 by 2050.
A key focus for the first phase of development is the Dongtan Institute for Sustainability, which will initially be based in Tongji University, Shanghai. It is hoped that the Institute will become one of the world’s centres of excellence for examining the connection between the environment and economic performance. Arup has formed a partnership with emissions brokerage CantorCO2e to reduce carbon emissions on this project.
Topics associated with this project
Climate change, Eco-town, Energy, Environmental, Housing, International, Planning, Transport