City without emissions near Abu Dhabi by Norman Foster

Until now, information from the Middle East has only concerned bizarre projects built in oil-rich countries. Finally, they have also realized here that black gold will not flow forever, and the source of funding necessary for life in cities in the middle of the desert may one day dry up. Therefore, on May 8, 2007, the project "Zero carbon, zero waste city" was presented to the public, backed by the London office of Norman Foster. The whole initiative was initiated by the "Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company", which was established (and funded) by the Abu Dhabi government last year. The program for the area spanning 6 million square meters includes an innovation center, a world-class university, and a development company tailored for market application as well as a special economic zone with institutions focused on the development and production of products related to renewable energy sources.
Foster's design represents a bounded city with densely built-up areas. The project is expected to be developed in two phases. First, a gigantic field of photovoltaic cells will be created, and only then will the gradual construction of the city begin. With this, the architects hope to avoid displacement. To connect the area to the infrastructure, existing transportation routes will be used, but new roads will also be constructed (including connections to the center of Abu Dhabi and the international airport).
However, the operation within the city will be completely car-free. A dense network of public transportation with stops every 200 meters will ensure that everyone can get comfortably anywhere. The friendly environment will offer shaded sidewalks and narrow streets to pedestrians, despite outdoor temperatures reaching up to 50 ºC in the warmer months.
The compact form is inspired by historical prototypes of cities that were always very dense and enclosed by massive walls. The surroundings of the newly established city of Masdar will be surrounded by solar and wind power plants that will ensure complete energy supply for the city. Link>