Green Architecture Confronts Elitism in Abu Dhabi

In the fall of 2010, the biennial Living Planet Report ranked the United Arab Emirates as having the world’s highest per capita environmental footprint—for the third time in a row. In response to the rankings (not to mention the realization that their energy and water resources are steadily running out), the emirates—particularly Abu Dhabi—have launched a number of high-profile green projects.

The most well-known is Masdar City, a planned community in the desert outside Abu Dhabi that aims to provide a high quality of life while creating the lowest possible carbon footprint. A small group of researchers currently lives in the city, but by 2025 the population is expected to reach 40,000. The city is already reducing its small population’s waste through strategies such as monitoring water and electricity consumption, increasing recycling, and using local materials in construction. Masdar City will also feature ultra-modern accoutrements like personal rapid transit, or tiny electric, driverless pod-like cars that squire you around via underground tunnels.