China is a huge paradox when it comes to climate change and energy issues. Soon to be the world’s greatest polluter it is also a country whose leaders understand they cannot sustain growth without dealing with energy and environmental issues. This great article from Wired describes an astounding architectural challenge: The design and building of an entirely new city, Dongtan, near Shanghai. The site is the size of Manhattan, the populace will number 500,000 and, because it is a stop for migratory birds, the entire project must be very green, literally.
This is really exciting stuff. And it gets better. When Arup, the UK-based architecture and engineering firm presented their extensive plans they projected that the new city would generate 60% of its energy from renewable sources. They had a staged plan to get to 100% over several years. Their Chinese clients liked the plan but wanted 100% renewable from day one! And that’s what they’re building.