Archinect - News

XZero City is Kuwait's contribution to the smart city movement

2022-09-02T12:46:00-04:00

A Dubai-based developer named URB has entered the fray of futuristic community planning in the region after publishing plans for XZero City, a pedestrian-friendly, net-zero carbon community it says will eventually grow to accommodate up to 100,000 people.

Billed as a “new paradigm in green urban living,” the car-free city will spread out over a 16-square-kilometer (6-square-mile) swath in the southern Kuwaiti desert connected by a resilient landscape which serves as the “social glue” to self-sustaining homesteaders occupying one of its initial 30,000 modular residences.

Image courtesy URB

By separating the development into different Commercial, Medical, and Educational hubs, URB says it hopes to provide a high quality of life powered by advanced renewable energy technologies, fed by biosaline agricultural produce and vertical farms, and enhanced by an equestrian track, a nature conservation center, and other attractions marketed vaguely as “edutainment.”

Image courtesy URB

An ecotour...

MVRDV’s Marble Arch Mound is a magnet for public criticism

2021-07-30T17:58:00-04:00

MVRDV’s latest project is closing after just two days following a torrent of public backlash against the $3 million artificial earthen mound in Westminster, London.

The Marble Arch Mound opened earlier this week after an abbreviated construction period which began in early May. Commentators online were quick to point out the rather stark contrast between the project’s renderings at announcement and actual appearance upon delivery. Swaths of an exposed scaffolding base, an incomplete application of greenery, and a confounding maze of fences have left people to question the project’s cost, utility, and even meaning. Westminster City Council, the park’s operator, has apologized for the mishap in an unprecedented statement admitting to the mound’s “not ready” status and closing it to the public as a result.

Previously on Archinect: MVRDV creates temporary artificial hill near London's Hyde Park

Refunds are now being provided to the disheartened customers who were able to visit the struc...

All new public buildings in Scotland to be net-zero

2019-09-06T18:20:00-04:00

"In addition to working on a new ‘Net Zero Carbon’ standard for all new public buildings, the government also said it would oversee a ‘fundamental overhaul’ of building regulations to ensure that from 2024 all new homes use renewable or low-carbon heating," reports Architects' Journal (AJ).

The Scottish government's focus on net-zero has become a priority with the First Minister unveiling "plans for a £3 billion Green Investment Portfolio, a ‘Green City Deal’ for cities and regions and said the transition to net zero will be the primary mission of the Scottish National Investment Bank."

According to AJ, Sturgeon said: "Earlier this year, I acknowledged that Scotland—like the rest of the world—faces a climate emergency. We are now committed to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 at the latest—earlier than any other UK nation."

Is Singapore really the greenest city in Asia?

2019-07-12T14:49:00-04:00

It's a small, dense, island nation where 100% of the population is urbanized. And yet, the city-state of Singapore is the greenest city in Asia, according to the Green City Index, and arguably has few competitors in the rest of the world. As Singapore's population and economy grew, so did its green cover: it was about 36% in the 1980s and it now stands at 47%, according to the Center for Liveable cities.

Becoming one of the "must-see" places in the world, Singapore has created a name for itself amongst travelers. Even Hollywood has already capitalized on the nation's likability and illustrious cityscape thanks to the top-grossing film, Crazy Rich Asians. However, beyond the food and Instagramable sites, what can other cities, urban planners, and architects learn from Singapore's urbanized infrastructure?

In a CNN travel piece written by Meera Senthilingam, she explains, "while the word "green" can take on a variety of connotations, Singapore appears to encompass them all -- lush environments, renewable energy, and future sustainability." The Singapore Green Buildings Council (SGBC) does not take sustainability lightly. Although the city-state is budding with lush greenery, we must note the city's lack of natural resources. However, where it lacks in natural resources, it makes up for in env...

Sidewalk Labs' Toronto waterfront smart city raises dystopian concerns

2018-08-10T14:40:00-04:00

Sidewalk’s vision for Quayside — as a place populated by self-driving vehicles and robotic garbage collectors, where the urban fabric is embedded with cameras and sensors capable of gleaning information from the phone in your pocket — certainly sounds Orwellian. Yet the company contends that the data gathered from fully wired urban infrastructure is needed to refine inefficient urban systems and achieve ambitious innovations like zero-emission energy grids.

Last fall Sidewalk Labs, a Google-affiliated company, announced plans to build a new smart city model on 12 acres of the Toronto waterfront named Quayside. The design would include infrastructure with sensors and data analytics with the claim of building an overall more streamlined, economical, and green urban space. Sidewalk Labs' partnership with Canada is the beginning of an urban model they hope to expand globally.

While the goal may look utopian, many see an ominous future where governance is under threat rather than the projected promise of urban innovation. Concerns center around tech monopolies, the collection and commodification of city data, and a democratic process of decision making for our environments.