XZERO | WORLD'S LARGEST SUSTAINABLE CITY

The urban design firm, URB, in United Arab Emirates has unveiled the plans for its project, XZERO. The sustainable city will incorporate blue and green infrastructure. To mitigate the desert climate, introducing blue and green infrastructure will help cool down the space and maximise green, open spaces. The blue infrastructure includes water features, ponds and streams, while the green infrastructure features green spaces, parks and forests.image

With goals for the landscape to adapt to the climate, the sustainable city will feature wadis. Wadis are valleys that turn into streams during the wet seasons. This addition will create an everchanging landscape throughout the seasons and minimise risks of flooding in other areas.

The design plans also include primary and secondary walking networks that connect the city to eco-friendly transport systems such as cycling and electric transport systems. The inclusion of healthy lifestyle choices such as walking tracks and energy efficient transport, follows with the goals for a net-zero carbon lifestyle.

XZERO has plans for urban farming methods as well that not only connect the residents to the landscape, but provide an abundance of green spaces and plantation to the cityscape. Including community and vertical gardens, aquaponics and bio-saline agriculture, the sustainable city will thrive with residents socialising with one another and connecting them to the landscape.

With plans for renewable energy resources, XZERO is a glimpse into the future of sustainable cities and how net-zero communities can function.