China to build a "green" city…

This story has appeared in several of my regular sets of reading materials this morning.

It seems that China will be breaking ground on a whole new city that will be built from the ground up with the environment in mind.

My move to Singapore almost two years ago gave me the opportunity to travel to China on a pretty regular basis, I stand in awe at the size and scale of some of the projects that are underway there.

At a time when most of the world seems to be pulling back on investments in general infrastructure we’re seeing China do the exact opposite.

The clean air through green roofs blog says;

Dongtan, which according to Business Week, “About the size of Manhattan, Dongtan aims to be energy self-sufficient using a combination of wind, solar power, and biofuels.” The design is being done by Arup Group, out of London, with Alejandro Gutierrez as the Project Designer. Peter Head is the Project Director, and Roger Wood is the Project Manager. The final customer is Shanghai Industrial Investment Corporation (SIIC), and they will be making the final decisions.

Which in turn links to a story in Wired Magazine;

Dongtan breaks ground later this year on a plot about the size of Manhattan on Chongming Island. The first condos and commercial space will hit the market by 2010, around the time a 12-mile bridge and tunnel combo and subway extension will link the city to Shanghai’s new international airport (45 minutes away) and financial district (30 minutes). By 2050, Dongtan will have a half-million residents, more than Miami or Atlanta today.

Big problems are often solved through big bold initiatives and driven by equally bold goals. This is one to watch.