SHANGHAI: Dongtan, the world's first eco-city, will not emit any carbon dioxide, according to a press release from the 19th International Business Leaders' Advisory Council.

All large facilities will be built in the island's center, and housing will be mixed with shops, post offices, schools, nurseries and healthcare facilities, minimizing the need to travel long distances for essential services. Most residents will be able to walk or bike to work, school or local shops.

Bicycle paths and walkways will crisscross the city, while all buses will be battery-powered.

All buildings will be less than eight stories tall and will incorporate "green" design technology such as energy-saving insulation.

The city, which is located on Chongming, the country's third largest island, at the mouth of the Yangtze River just off Shanghai, will also generate its own energy. It will have a power station that takes advantage of sea wind, and a recycling center that will recycle 80 percent of the city's waste while also producing power. The city will also reuse much of its wastewater.

In fact, Dongtan will consume half as much water on a per capita basis as Shanghai and create no carbon emissions.

The city, which is due to be completed in 2030, will be home to more than 500,000 people and feature a variety of tourist and entertainment attractions. Residents and visitors will eat organically grown food and be within walking distance of farmland and parks.

Dongtan is expected to serve as a model for environmentally friendly urban development.

If the city is successful, the model will be replicated in many other cities, business leaders on the advisory council said.

(China Daily 10/30/2007 page4)