Masdar: "Source" of Hope in the Middle of the Desert?

Street Design in Masdar

Masdar, loosely meaning "source" in Arabic, is a city in Abu Dhabi that was formed in hopes of creating "the world's first zero-carbon city". While Masdar will probably never reach that status, the city's designers have some solid plans on how to make the city more sustainable. In order to decrease automotive traffic and increase walkability, the architects have employed traditional Arab design. Narrow streets surrounded by permeable walls limit direct sunlight while also allowing cool winds to circulate. A new twist on the traditional Arabic wind tower also helps distribute ambient air through the streets. The combination of these things is supposedly capable of reducing street temperature to 70F. Windows have angled shades so that buildings can be naturally lit with minimal heat gain. In order to reduce Masdar's energy footprint, they've enlisted an incredible amount of solar panels.

However, in order for Masdar to become energy efficient, residents will have to do the same things as the rest of us: change their behavior. A 50% reduction in energy use means everyone in Masdar needs to up their thermostat to 77F.