Chinese eco-city....London to follow.

'The Mayor of London today announced from Shanghai plans for a new zero carbon development in London. The development, which is likely to be situated in the Thames Gateway.... will be up to 1000 units in size.'

Ken Livingston's inspiration comes from seeing a presentation in Shanghai of Shanghai's Dongtan sustainable-city project. He said it 'is breathtaking in scale and ambition and if it works it will be a beacon to the world on how to achieve a low-carbon future.' More on his announcement at http://www.arup.com/newsitem.cfm?pageid=8295 .

For the new Chinese eco-city; 'Ecologically sensitive design will be a key element of the masterplan. The site is mostly agricultural land adjacent to a huge wetland of global importance. This will be a significant opportunity to apply our integrated sustainability and urban planning expertise to the benefit of the eco-city.' .....according to Arup, the project leader.

'Priority projects for phase 1 include capturing and purifying water, waste management recycling, reducing landfills that damage the environment, and creating combined heat and power systems, linked to the use of renewables, that will provide the technology to source clean and reliable energy.' More from Arup at http://www.arup.com/eastasia/project.cfm?pageid=7047 .

Are these one off show projects or 'a beacon to the world on how to achieve a low-carbon future.'?