First time I come to see Masdar being mentioned in regular news. CNN has this story on the city's progress:
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/tech/2009/06/26/zero.carbon.city.cnn
To many, this might mean the first touch they have to this project. We should expect much more news about it, later in the year.
The video uses some old concept footage, i.e. showing PRT lines up in the air. They will be below the pedestrian level, and following building arrangement (= there are "roads" and "blocks" below the surface).
Masdar vehicles are called "space age time", which gives me a smile. I thought space age started in the 1960's... :) It's curious to know, which terms reporters find describing this technology. They also used the term "people movers", which I've been told is an inadequate term for PRT's. I still think it describes what they do best.
Did they say "15 billion into the venture"? Really? That is 300000 per inhabitant.
Addendum: An interview with Luca Guala has more detailed info.
2 comments:
I think Masdar City will be the latest of a small number of highly planned, specialized, research and technology-intensive municipalities that incorporate a living environment, similar to Novosibirsk, Russia or Tsukuba Science City, Japan.
Maybe. The plans have not really materialized as they were presented in 2009, I think. The economic crisis.
Then again, our urban change is more coming from grass roots level (read: distributed, cheap, community oriented) than from such spearhead projects. Both are needed, and they are not exclusive.
I think the idea to "replicate" the MIT ecosystem in many places around the world is a great one. Better to have 10 MIT's than just one. :)
Post a Comment