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Sustainable city to cut carbon-emissions by 90%, boost travel and reduce commuting.

 
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29 Sep 2008

With population growth in Gulf cities expanding and the attendant pressures placed on infrastructure and the environment, new pictures of the proposed eco-city by Dubai-based Timelinks set to address these issues with a carbon neutral solution.

The city – called the Ziggurat project and in the shape of a pyramid - could support an entire community of up to one million people by harnessing the power of nature.

According to US based Environmental Indicators, the average American car emits a staggering five tonnes of CO2 per year. Cars account for 30% of total CO2 carbon emissions (with the balance of 40% or four million tonnes accounted for by electricity generation).

In Dubai, Salik issued 400,000 road-toll tags for vehicles to operate in the Emirate. Dubai’s Cars alone generate a total of two million tonnes of CO2 into Dubai’s already polluted atmosphere.

Sustainable city to cut carbon-emissions by 90%, boost travel and reduce commuting.

Ridas Matonis, Managing Director of Timelinks, said: “Industrialised cities are now pumping out billions of tonnes of CO2 into the environment. The Ziggurat project employs a car-less environment with a transport system that is powered by energy generated by solar, wind and steam. We estimate that carbon emissions within the city could be significantly reduced by 90%.”

With the average daily commuting time in Dubai set at 104 minutes, as compared to 70 minutes in the US, the integrated transport system of the Ziggurat project could cut commuting time to just 15 minutes in the day.

Added Matonis: “With the close proximity of hospitals, schools, workplaces and leisure amenities contained within the Ziggurat, less stress is placed upon commuting. The three-dimensional shape of the project opens up the surrounding landscape for agriculture, pastures and natural forestry.”

The concept will also mean better quality of life for inhabitants. Transport throughout the complex would be connected by an integrated 360 degree network (horizontally and vertically) so cars are redundant.

Timelinks will employ revolutionary technologies within the Ziggurat project. It will use natural renewable energy resources of wind, solar and steam which are completely self-sustainable. The building will have parks, water channels, and lakes with climate zones which become cooler at higher elevations.

Ziggurat is taking a new approach towards harmonizing architecture and technology without harming the environment and aiming to satisfy the needs of each individual.



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