URB plans to develop Africa’s largest sustainable city
DUBAI, October 26, 2022
Dubai-based URB, the developer of a first-of-its-kind incubator for sustainable cities, has unveiled plans for Africa’s largest sustainable city - The Parks - that will provide the world’s highest standard for sustainable living for its 150,000 residents.
Spread over a 17-sq-km area, the smart city, which is being planned for the eastern region of South Africa, will boast a total of 40,000 homes across 12 residential districts with a mix of residential, medical, tourism, entertainment, retail & education elements.
The city, which aims to promote a net zero lifestyle, will also produce 100% of its energy, water and food on site to become a self-sufficient destination.
According to URB, the economy of the city will be automated and digital with majority of jobs in green tech. More than 40,000 jobs will be created in the short and long term during the planning, construction and operation of the city.
The city will thus become a benchmark of economically viable sustainable living and a positive contribution to the green economic growth of the country, it stated.
Highlighting the importance of The Parks as a new benchmark in sustainable cities, CEO Baharash Bagherian said: "The Parks is innovatively planned with the highest standards of sustainability to create a car-free community & a unique zero carbon destination. It is designed from a landscape to provide the happiest and healthiest ecosystem."
"The landscape is designed to promote social sustainability and an active lifestyle, which permeates throughout the public realm of the city. Some of these features include outdoor fitness stations, community farming plots, outdoor sports courts, dedicated jogging and cycling tracks, waste to art public realm and outdoor concerts," stated Bagherian, who has masterminded designs of various sustainable cities including Xzero, AlNama and Nexgen.
For him, green spaces are the heart and arteries of the entire development. "At the center of the development there is a unique 5km long multifunctional green spine, which has various branches of vibrant community parks that link all the buildings together," he noted.
This resilient landscape will connect residents to all hubs within the development in minutes by walking, cycling or electric buggies.
With over 32 km of dedicated running, cycling and equestrian tracks, The Parks will also provide the greenest and safest modes of active transport, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
