Dongtan

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Dongtan (simplified Chinese: 东滩; traditional Chinese: 東灘; pinyin: Dōngtān) is a new eco-city planned for the island of Chongming, near Shanghai, China. The name of the city literally translates as "East Beach". It is being built on a major wetland site that formerly was inhabited by small scale agriculture and migrating water birds.

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[edit] Population

Dongtan is planned to open, with accommodation for 50,000, by the time the Expo 2010 opens in Shanghai. By 2040, the city is slated to be one-third the size of Manhattan with a total eventual population of 500,000.

[edit] Design

Dongtan was presented at the United Nations World Urban Forum by China as an example of an eco-city, and is the first of up to four such cities to be designed and built in China by Arup, a global design and engineering company. The cities are planned to be ecologically friendly, with zero-greenhouse-emission transit and complete self-sufficiency in water and energy, together with the use of zero energy building principles. However, the planned ecological footprint for each citizen in Dongtan is currently 2.2 hectares[1], higher than the 1.9 hectares that the World Wildlife Fund claims is theoretically sustainable on a global scale.

Dongtan proposes to have only green transport movements along its coastline. People will arrive at the coast and leave their cars behind, traveling along the shore as pedestrians, cyclists or on sustainable public transport vehicles. The only vehicles allowed in the city will be powered by electricity or hydrogen. Houses are selling here to Shanghai middle classes for use when weekending away from the city.

Steven Finnegan, a British Environmental architect is working on the project. The major builder ARUP is also building many less green projects in China such as airports and office blocks. ARUP recently recieved the Greenwash award from the Ethical Corporation Magazine, as the most dubious green claim of the year, describing Dongtan as a Potemkin Village.

EPSRC, the UK funding body for academic research, is supporting four Dongtan research networks of UK and Chinese universities to study the research agenda for eco-city design. Arup is assisting in the coordination of these networks and in planning associated Institutes for Sustainability.

[edit] Reaction

The reaction to Dongtan has been mixed. Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has praised the project as pioneering work leading to a more sustainable future[2], while others are concerned that it will not have a big impact on reforming existing cities, which will still house the majority of the Chinese population.[3]

[edit] Twinned accords

[edit] See also

Energy Portal

Biz China Update - Chinese Cities Add ‘Eco-Franchise’ to Urban Planning Wish List http://www.bizchina-update.com/content/view/339/44/ China Economic Review - Dongtan: Eco-Potemkin - http://www.chinaeconomicreview.com/editors/2007/04/19/dongtan-eco-potemkin/ Ethical Corporation Magazine - Arup and Dongtan, worthy winner of Greenwasher of the year - http://www.ethicalcorp.com/content.asp?ContentID=5552&ContTypeID=64 Climate Change Corp - Dongtan update - the paranoia sets in while the carbon footprint expands - http://www.climatechangecorp.com/content.asp?ContentID=4866

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Market and environment": an article
  2. ^ Arup press release: "London looks to the East for inspiration to cut emissions"
  3. ^ chinadialogue, 中国与世界，环境危机大家谈 - article about China and urban sustainability

[edit] External links