Monday, November 29, 2010

Masdar City's first steps

Masdar City -- the ambitious United Arab Emirates eco-city project -- inaugurated its first phase last week.

Abu Dhabi monarch Mohammed al Nahyan was there to preside over the unveiling of the Masdar Institute of Science & Technology, the first fruits of his investment.

It's important to remember that about this display of traditional Arab technology wedded to modern technologies. MIST is showing the key energy sustainability features of the Masdar vision: narrow shaded streets, curved walls, wind towers, etc. New low-energy air conditioning are being tried, as is the Personal Rapid Transit (small  pod vehicles, mass transit in aggregate, that only move when needed).

But as previously reported,