Tencent gets proposal from MVRDV for green smart city

After two years of development,  MVRDV  has unveiled its competition entry for Chinese tech giant Tencent’s next campus — a green and futuristic smart city shaped like a continuous undulating mountain range. Located on a 133-hectare site in Shenzhen’s Qianhai Bay, the nature-inspired development combines references to the lush, mountainous surroundings with Tencent’s cutting-edge technology. The massive urban district is expected to include enough office space for 80,000 to 100,000 employees, public amenities, a conference center and homes for 19,000 Tencent employees.  Although Tencent recently completed their current Shenzhen headquarters, the Tencent Seafront Towers, the company’s meteoric growth and technological ambitions spurred them to launch a design competition for yet another headquarters in  Shenzhen  that would take the shape of an enormous smart city district. In developing their competition entry for the Tencent Campus, MVRDV conducted intensive research and created 28 different outline designs. Their final proposal not only includes the key qualities of smart cities, such as innovation and adaptability, but also incorporates green technology, from solar energy to the introduction of autonomous cars and a shuttle bus loop as the main means of transit. MVRDV’s proposal envisions the Tencent campus as a grid of over 100 buildings topped with an undulating roof of  solar  panels. Sky bridges link certain buildings to create a continuous surface reminiscent of a mountain range, while a waterfront park at the foot of the buildings emphasizes the campus’ connection to Qianhai Bay to the east. The park is also home to many of the urban district’s public buildings, including a school and kindergarten, a sports center and a data center. A rock-shaped conference center bookends the southern side of the park. The “beating heart” of the development is a spherical information plaza that will display data related to the everyday functioning of the campus, from occupancy rates to carbon usage.  Related: BIG presents a sustainable “living laboratory” town in Japan for Toyota at CES “Our studies and competition entry for Tencent are an attempt to show that the smart city is also the green city,” Winy Mass, MVRDV founding partner, said. “With ubiquitous smart city elements, headlined by a futuristic data hub at the heart of the campus, Tencent employees would feel enveloped by technology. But they are also literally surrounded by nature, with the serpentine park always within a short walking distance, and green terraces all around them.” + MVRDV Images by Atchain and MVRDV

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Tencent gets proposal from MVRDV for green smart city

Oslo’s new airport city could power the entire surrounding community

Airports aren’t always known for their energy efficiency, but Norway is planning to change that. Norwegian architectural practices Haptic Architects and Nordic – Office of Architecture  have announced plans for a sustainable smart city , powered entirely by renewable energy, near Oslo Airport. The complex will be the world’s first energy-positive airport city and it will have the capacity to sell surplus energy to surrounding buildings and communities. Plans for the Oslo Airport City line up with the country’s shift from reliance on fossil fuels to renewable energy and its readiness to embrace green technologies . For example, the city will serve as a testing ground for technology-driven urban design, including the incorporation of self-driving electric cars, automatic street lighting, and smart technology for services such as mobility, waste and security. Related: China announces plans to build nearly 300 new eco-cities “This is a unique opportunity to design a new city from scratch,” said Tomas Stokke, director and co-founder of Haptic Architects. “Using robust city planning strategies such as walkability, appropriate densities, active frontages and a car-free city center, combined with the latest developments in technology, we will be able to create a green, sustainable city of the future. Capitalizing on the central location in northern Europe, a highly skilled workforce and proximity to an expansive and green airport , OAC has all the ingredients needed to make this a success,” he added. The city will be car-free , and it will provide many green spaces for the airport’s growing workforce, which is expected to increase from 22,000 to 40,000 people by 2050. The project received outline planning consent for development and is slated for completion in 2022. + Haptic Architects + Nordic – Office of Architecture Images by Forbes Massie

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Oslo’s new airport city could power the entire surrounding community

China plans to build nearly 300 new eco-cities

China broke ground on a 40,000-tree-filled Forest City earlier this summer – but apparently one isn’t enough. The country, infamous for their environmental pollution , plans to construct 285 eco-cities , according to Forbes. But what exactly an eco-city constitutes – and the standards to which it will be held – is still in question. Individual buildings can be held up against LEED standards, or even China’s Three Star system. But Forbes pointed out there’s no such criteria for entire cities . The publication quoted Austin Williams, Jiaotong-Liverpool University professor and author of a book on eco-cities, who said, “There is no definition of an eco-city, which makes them incredibly easy to invent.” Related: China plans its first “Forest City” to fight air pollution The country has urbanized more rapidly than any other country in history. In the last 30 years, more people than America’s entire population have moved to urban areas of China. The country has prioritized development over the environment in many cases, with dangerous air quality found in 90 percent of cities. According to Forbes, as the public has become educated about the pollution, environmental conditions in the country could pose the largest destabilizing force to the Communist Party. Will China’s eco-cities recycle , be powered by renewable energy , produce less carbon emissions , and be built with energy-efficient structures – a few hallmarks we might expect in an eco-city? Williams said, “In the West, eco-cities are supposed to save the world; in China they are simply meant to provide a decent quality of urban environment…China’s eco-cities are simply intended to be much-needed urban improvements and infrastructural development with an eco-prefix.” 80 percent of prefectural-level cities are estimated to have at least one eco-city in the works. One estimate suggests in the near future, more than 50 percent of new urban developments in China will be labeled green, smart, low-carbon, or eco. It remains to be seen whether these eco-cities will genuinely benefit China’s environment – and the people who live in them. Via Forbes Images via Stefano Boeri Architetti

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China plans to build nearly 300 new eco-cities

Zipline drones deliver life-saving medical supplies in under an hour

83% of rural Africans lack access to critical healthcare services – and delivering emergency supplies is often difficult or impossible due to ailing infrastructure. Zipline is changing that with the world’s first commercial medical delivery drones . A single drone can deliver up to 500 life-saving packages of medical supplies to remote areas in 24 hours. The project, which was just awarded a 2017 INDEX: Award , is a collaboration between Zipline and the Rwandan Government. The service is designed to deliver medical products to any area of Rwanda within 15-35 minutes – no matter how remote. Related: 5 brilliant designs that will change the world in 2017 To activate the system, health workers only need to text an order, which goes to a centralized distribution center. Once the order is put in motion, a drone is dispatched to the area, dropping the ordered items by parachute with a high degree of precision. According to the startup’s website, a single Zipline drone can carry up to 1.5 kilos (3.3 pounds) for up to 150 kilometers (93 miles), making up to 500 deliveries in one day – even in extreme weather conditions. In early 2017 Zipline began delivering blood to over 20 blood transfusion facilities in western Rwanda, and the project is set to begin service in Tanzania with 120 drones and more than 1,000 clinics. + Fly Zipline + INDEX: AWARD 2017

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Zipline drones deliver life-saving medical supplies in under an hour

Scientists develop tiny robots that drill into cancer cells to kill them

Tiny new robots are proving to be life-saving tools in the fight against cancer. As first reported in the journal Nature , scientists at Durham University in England, in collaboration with researchers at Rice and North Carolina Universities in the United States, have developed nanomachines that are capable of drilling into cancer cells, killing them within minutes. These light-activated nanobots, the size of a molecule, move so rapidly that they can burrow through cell linings of cancer. The researchers found that in order for the nanomachines to function effectively, they need to spin two to three million times per second in order to not be inhibited by objects (or what is known as Brownian motion, or the erratic movement of tiny particles in fluid.) When triggered by ultraviolet light, the nanobots begin to spin, allowing them to cut through cancer cells either to destroy the cell or create space for the delivery of beneficial drugs. “These nanomachines are so small that we could park 50,000 of them across the diameter of a human hair, yet they have the targeting and actuating components combined in that diminutive package to make molecular machines a reality for treating disease,” said Dr. James Tour of Rice University. “For many years I never had envisioned the nanomachines being used medically, I though they were way too small, because they are much much smaller than a cell, but now this work has really changed my thoughts.” Related: Nanotech Robots Travel Through Blood to Turn Off Tumor Cells According to Dr. Robert Pal of Durham University, these micro cancer slayers may be well suited to target those cancers that are resistant to existing chemotherapy. “Once developed, this approach could provide a potential step change in non-invasive cancer treatment and greatly improve survival rates and patient welfare globally,” said Pal. After initial experiments on microorganisms and small fish are completed, the team will advance to rodent subjects, then eventually clinical trials on humans if prior results are positive. Via Yahoo News Images via Dr. Robert Pal/Durham University and Tour Group/Rice University

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Scientists develop tiny robots that drill into cancer cells to kill them

This urban tree cleans as much polluted air as an entire forest

Air pollution might be invisible, but it results in 7 million premature deaths each year. Fortunately, there’s a solution – the CityTree is a high-tech green wall that scrubs the air of harmful particulates – and it has as much air-purifying power as 275 urban trees. As you might have guessed, the CityTree isn’t really a tree . Instead, it’s a moss culture. Zhengliang Wu, co-founder of Green City Solutions said: “Moss cultures have a much larger leaf surface area than any other plant. That means we can capture more pollutants .” The CityTree is under 4 meters tall, approximately 3 meters wide and 2.19 meters deep. Two versions are available – one with or without a bench – and a display is included for information or advertising. Due to the huge surface area of moss installed, each tree can remove dust, nitrogen dioxide and ozone gases from the air. Additionally, the installations are fully autonomous, as solar panels provide electricity and collected rainwater is filtered into a reservoir where it is pumped into the soil. Related: Air pollution is the leading environmental cause of death worldwide The invention also has WiFi sensors which measure the soil humidity, temperature and water quality. “We also have pollution sensors inside the installation, which help monitor the local air quality and tell us how efficient the tree is.” said Wu. Every day, a CityTree can absorb around 250 grams of particulate matter. Over the length of an entire year, the invention can remove 240 metric tons of C02. Green City Solutions seeks to one day install CityTrees in major cities around the world – but they presently faces bureaucratic challenges. Said Wu, “We were installing them (the CityTrees) in Modena, Italy, and everything was planned and arranged, but now the city is hesitant about the places we can install because of security reasons.” Regardless, the company will persist and already has plans to introduce the invention to India , where air pollution has reached dangerous levels in certain locations. So far, 20 CityTrees have been successfully installed in major cities around the world – including Oslo, Paris, Brussels and Hong Kong. Costing about $25,000 each, they are a big investment – but one deemed to be worthwhile as they clean the air of harmful contaminants. + Green City Solutions Via CNN Images via Green City Solutions

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This urban tree cleans as much polluted air as an entire forest

INFOGRAPHIC: 10 of the most energy-efficient cities around the world

Cities are fantastic hubs of innovation and culture, but they also consume a lot of natural resources. Luckily, some urban centers are working hard to reduce their environmental footprint and are setting an example for greener, more energy-efficient living. HalfPrice.com.au rounds up 10 of the world’s most energy-efficient cities as well as each city’s innovative green initiatives and future plans. From Reykjavik’s use of renewable hydropower and geothermal energy to San Francisco’s impressive recycling strategies, this infographic is packed with inspiring trivia about some of the top metropolises from around the globe. Read the rest of INFOGRAPHIC: 10 of the most energy-efficient cities around the world

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INFOGRAPHIC: 10 of the most energy-efficient cities around the world

Seattle will embarrass and fine residents who don’t compost

In Seattle, there is now a big difference between trash and food. A new city law makes it illegal to toss out your leftovers and food scraps with the rest of your garbage. Effective this July, city residents will be penalized with a fine if they fail to separate their trash. City officials enacted the law on January 1 but Seattle residents won’t be fined for the offense until July 1. That doesn’t mean they won’t have an incentive to change their ways in the meantime. Until the fine goes into effect, sanitation workers will place a giant red tag on any garbage bags that appear to contain food waste . This is intended in part to remind folks of the new rules, but if residents feel a little embarrassment at the same time, all the better. Read the rest of Seattle will embarrass and fine residents who don’t compost Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: Climate Change , compost , composting , fine , food waste , garbage , global warming , green , green city , greenhouse gas , landfill , law , laws , methane , recycling , Seattle , trash , washington , waste collection

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Seattle will embarrass and fine residents who don’t compost

Cisco and Amsterdam’s plan to make a green city smart

What happens when one of the world’s greener, smarter cities meets the hyper-connected world? We’re about to find out.

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Cisco and Amsterdam’s plan to make a green city smart

Dubai’s Sustainable City Will be Powered by 600,000 Square Feet of Solar Cells

Read the rest of Dubai’s Sustainable City Will be Powered by 600,000 Square Feet of Solar Cells Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: architecture competition , Baharash Architecture , city master plan , dubai , Dubai Architecture , Dubai Sustainable City , green city , Stringa Planning Studio , sustainable city , sustainable city development        

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Dubai’s Sustainable City Will be Powered by 600,000 Square Feet of Solar Cells

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