Culmination of years of research and development; and an underlying belief that sustainability is achievable while maintaining all societal comforts, The Sustainable City (TSC) in Dubai is a unique development that integrates social, economic and environmental sustainability in a comfortable and modern setting, providing a healthy and eco-friendly lifestyle to residents.

The 500 villa development is a perfect Eco City where the focus is on reducing ecological footprint, protecting the environment and increasing community well being.

Some important features of TSC:

Urban Farming

The community has an Urban Farming Club that makes agriculture an integral part of urban life. Residents have their own raised garden beds to grow their own herbs, veggies and fruits.

Low Power Consumption

Thanks to solar panels, each house produces between 25 and 30 kilowatts of power per hour. Thick insulated walls and double glazed windows further reduce load on air conditioning, ensuring that residents do not incur high utility bills.

Aqueous Zone

For cleaning and washing purposes, TSC residents use 'Aqueous Ozone', a sustainable natural oxidizer. 'Aqueous Ozone' is up to 50 times more effective than common household bleach and leaves no harmful residue or vapour. The solution is readily available from 'Liquid ozone dispensing machines' in the area.

Community App

The Peerby app used by the TSC residents reduces consumerism by enabling people to borrow various consumer products from the neighborhood. Such sharing not only keeps tons of trash out of landfills, but also saves money.

Equestrian Centre

An equestrian club including a horse training track at TSC, contributes to social sustainability. The club offers free horse-riding classes to children, besides trail rides along a 4Km sand track.

Power Generating Gym

The gymnasium equipments installed at the community Gym produce power every time they are used, converting mechanical energy into electricity. A big screen indicates the power being generated while working out. Around 6,000 watts of power can be generated per hour, enough to light a bulb for over two months.

Weather Station

The community houses a weather station that is a part of on-going research by a group of American universities. Residents get daily weather updates to be able to estimate and plan their power consumption.

Sustainable Mosque

The mosque in the development has been designed to minimise energy and water consumption. It is well insulated to prevent thermal heat and is cooled using high-efficiency AC systems. Fitted with LED lighting, the mosque is can house up to 700 worshipers at a time.

Self Sufficient Plaza

TSC has a self sufficient Plaza- a 15,000 square meter, mixed use area with five low rise blocks that house shops, restaurants, cafes, offices and apartments. The retail outlets here are self-sufficient with a steady income from their sales in the community, taking care of their maintenance and operations.

Community Initiative- Boomerang Bags

Living in The Sustainable City, the inherent theme of the neighborhood has grown on the residents too and they are encouraged to come up with sustainable initiatives. As part a project initiated by a resident, a group of residents have launched a project called Boomerang Bags. They create shopping bags out of used fabric and place them in the community supermarket, to help reduce plastic consumption in the development. 

TSC is indeed a suitable prototype for the future Eco cities of the world. Please visit the website below, for more information and photographs of the development.

https://www.thesustainablecity.ae/

Source and Credits:

http://gulfnews.com/xpress/news/inside-the-sustainable-city-in-dubai-1.2112838