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Carbon-Neutral Ziggurat Could House 1.1 Million In Dubai
Engadget is reporting that a new pyramid-shaped city of the future, dubbed a "Ziggurat," is being touted by Dubai-based environmental design company, Timelinks. Claiming that their design allows for an almost self-sufficient energy footprint and, obviously, economy of space, the real trick would be getting 1.1 million people to live in such close proximity. "Martijn Kramer, managing director of The International Institute for the Urban Environment told WAN: 'As a general reaction the Ziggurat Project is viable from a technical point of view. However reflecting from a more sustainable holistic approach we do wonder if the food supply and waste system are taken care for, as the concept seems rather based upon carbon neutrality and energy saving.' Kramer's initial reaction to 'Ziggurat' also raises a very important issue: are people willing to live in a mega building of 2.3 sq km? Will the thought of living in a machine comfort people?"
Dubai considering building Arcologies! =)
I often think that people in the west hold too much of the world to their ideals. Sure people from the US suburbs might not like living in such close proximity.
Dharavi, which is probably Asia's largest slum, has roughly 1 million people living on roughly 2 sq. kilometers already and is damn low in carbon footprint, with most things done by hand. The Fact that they can design a building to do the same isn't that impressive, What would be impressive is if they can do it without turning the lower floors into slave pens.
If it's that large, nothing short of a nuke will take it out quickly. A big fire might take it out eventually, but it will take a while.
Looking at the concept art, it looks like a fire would have a hard time spreading throughout the structure.
From the article, the concept art shows a structure that is more of a perforated pyramid, so the surface area could be substantially longer than your napkin calculations suggest.
The silent film "Metropolis" predates "Caves of Steel" by a few decades. It doesn't bother to explain how the city is self-reliant and carbon neutrality is never an issue. It is very much about having a rich upper class living above a poor lower class and taking advantage of their willingness to serve in the dark squalor of the depths of the city.