Groupe Chronos

Some of the names are well-known to people interested in urbanism and sustainable development: Masdar City (Abu Dhabi), Dongtan (China), Songdo (South Korea), Mahindra World City (India), Zira Island (Azerbaijan)... The common denominator? As well as location outside the Western world, they are all marketed as urban sustainable mega projects with a flair for catching media attention.

Designed by Foster + Partners, Masdar City is one of the most ambitious and expensive among the new eco-cities. With a budget of a whopping $22 billion (surpassed however, by Songdo's $40 billion), it is one of the largest infrastructural projects underway in the world and it has managed to attract the head-quarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency. While some of the other green utopias (Dongtan and Mahindra) are currently experiencing considerable problems due to the financial crisis, Masdar has continued to develop since the construction began in 2008. But why is it that similarly looking plans appear at approximately the same time in multiple developing countries? Are they results of a genuine concern for the environment and global warming? Unfortunately, the answer appears to be no.

Eventually, Masdar might end up as a sustainable oasis in the middle of the resource-consuming United Arab Emirates' dessert. Elsewhere in the Emirates, the grand schemes of "The Palm Trilogy" and "The World" have seen newcomers such as "Falcon City of Wonders" appearing on the stage. Even though this particular project was stopped due to the economic problems in Dubai's construction sector it shows how sustainability is by far a key feature of all mega projects in the region.

A similar claim can be made regarding China's accelerating urbanisation process. While eco-cities are beneficial in alleviating the impact of the inflow of population from rural China, they are only a drop in the ocean. Most Chinese urban developments are taking place as in Chongqing: faster than the maps in the city administration can be drawn (see Foreign Policy for an excellent photo essay on the city).

Finally, one can add that the construction of Zira Island - like the one of Masdar - will be financed by oil money. The Azerbaijani oil industry is by far the country's most important export sector, and a zero-emission island will only offset a fraction of the CO2 emitted and exported by the country.

Thus, in the end, these cities appear to be the results of marketing and urban boosterism more than anything else. Talking about architecture, François Chaslin recently echoed these thoughts, saying "architecture today is too often subjected to money and marketing : it is a tool that aims at making things, people and cities shining (...)"(1). The megaprojects are the 21st century's version of the world's highest building: attention generating, but with little real, long-term impact in terms of sustainable development. In fact, they can even be viewed as harmful as they remove interest and funds from less catchy, yet effective measures such as improving the insulation of houses, installing smart meters or even just connecting those areas to existing urban infrastructures. Unfortunately, the benefits of those projects are in many cases still considered in terms of media attention rather than pure environmental impact.

(1) Traduction - Le Monde - supplément radio / télé, dimanche 10 octobre 2010.