The Emirates are searching for a new ecological dimension. Near Abu Dhabi will be the first city in the world with zero carbon emission — Masdar City. It’s not easy to imagine a city without cars, where the schools, the houses and the offices are connected by electric carpets that travel at high speed on tapis roulants and where all the air -conditioning or the hot water are powered only by the sun.The city is planned to cover 6 square kilometres (2.3 sq mi) and will be home to 45,000 to 50,000 people and 1,500 businesses, primarily commercial and manufacturing facilities specialising in environmentally friendly products, and more than 60,000 workers are expected to commute to the city daily. Automobiles will be banned within the city; travel will be accomplished via public mass transit and personal rapid transit systems, with existing road and railways connecting to other locations outside the city. Narrow streets and shaded walks would reduce the need for air conditioning. The city would be oriented northeast to minimize the amount of direct sunlight on buildings’ sides and windows. Solar panels and solar collectors on roofs and elsewhere would generate enough electricity to meet most of Masdar City’s needs.
