Braga International School

Name: Cristóbal Pereira

Form 6

Masdar City
About the city:
Masdar City is a planned city project in Abu Dhabi, in the United
Arab Emirates.

Its core is being built by Masdar, a subsidiary of Mubadala

Development Company, with the majority of seed capital
provided by the Government of Abu Dhabi.

Designed by the British architectural firm Foster and Partners, the

city relies on solar energy and other renewable energy sources. 

Initiated in 2008, Masdar is the emirate’s pioneering vision of a

city of the future. With the goal of becoming the world’s most
sustainable eco-city, Masdar is leading the way by developing a “green print” for how cities can accommodate rapid
urbanization and dramatically reduce energy, water and waste.

Problem nº1:
Since it is built in the desert, how can it remain cool without using too much energy?
Actually, the temperature in the streets is generally 15 to 20 °C cooler than the surrounding desert. The temperature
difference is due to Masdar's unique construction. A 45-metre-high wind tower modelled on traditional Arab designs sucks
air from above and pushes a cooling breeze through Masdar's streets. The site is raised above the surrounding land to create
a slight cooling effect. Buildings are clustered close together to create streets and walkways shielded from the sun, so that
the habitants don’t get hit with the hot direct sunlight.

Problem nº2:
How can the transport system be carbon free?
The initial design banned automobiles, as travel will be accomplished via public mass transit and personal rapid
transit (PRT) systems, with existing road and railways connecting to other locations outside the city. The absence of motor
vehicles coupled with Masdar's perimeter wall, designed to keep out the hot desert winds, allows for narrow and shaded
streets that help funnel cooler breezes across the city.

Since that is nearly impossible, the revised design Masdar will instead use a mix of electric vehicles and other clean-energy
vehicles for mass transit inside the city. Most of private vehicles will be restricted to parking lots along the city's perimeter.
Abu Dhabi's planned and delayed light rail and metro line will connect Masdar City's center with the greater metropolitan
area.

Problem nº3:
Being in the desert, how can such a small, eco-friendly city be built from scratch?
Because of its location, energy, water and other resources can be hard to find.
Energy will be collected from a giant area of solar panels.
When it comes to water, approximately 80 percent of the water used will be recycled and waste water will be reused
as many times as possible, with this greywater being used for crop irrigation and other purposes.
The exterior wood used throughout the city is palmwood, a sustainable hardwood-substitute developed by Pacific
Green using plantation coconut palms that no longer bear fruit. Palmwood features include the entrance gates, screens
and doors.
Also, blowing sand has been a problem for its solar panels, so Masdar has been working with other companies to
engineer surfaces with pores smaller than sand particles to stop them from sticking on the panels.

Overall Reaction:
This city was supported by a lot of important groups such as:
The most important question:
What is the importance of Masdar city?
Masdar city is important to show that we CAN achieve sustainability in cities. We have a long way to go, and we
know cities are going to cause some damage, but humans are ingenious and can figure out how to reduce that damage.
And even though we are part of a global economy, cities have an ability to impact sustainability on a scale beyond
their boundaries. People are more concerned about the planet today than ever before. This value system, coupled with
intelligent technology, good public policy, and private companies aligned with the right incentives, can help create the
sustainable cities needed for the future, and Masdar is a perfect start…