Dongtan The Worlds First Eco City

With China facing an urbanisation of 300 million people in the next twenty years, it will not only face a massive expansion of its current cities but will have to build some 3 to 400 new cities to do this. Along with India, the rate of growth, urban change, and industrialisation will dwarf anything seen in human history before. Arups from their London HQ are masteplanning this project, it is really worth listening to them talking about it on a bbc interview. The picture above may look a little like a Dubai wet dream but it will be an important milestone as either success or failure depending on whether its’ technology and thinking can spread beyond its boundaries and whether it will become a real city or holiday suburb to Shanghai. The Economist also has an excellent article on it.