Tuesdays at APA–Chicago — June 2011

Implementing Sustainable Cities in a Harsh Environment: Some Lessons Learned from Masdar

June 21, 2011

Masdar City in the United Arab Emirates is envisioned as the world's first carbon-neutral, zero waste, car-free city. However, the harsh, desert environment and the prevailing planning and construction practices in Abu Dhabi pose special challenges for an inherently ambitious goal.

Margaret Cederoth, AICP, will discuss the specific elements of sustainable cities incorporated into the plans for Masdar and the practical methods for implementing these ambitions in the first few buildings of the city. The presentation will highlight relevant master plan elements that are the foundation for sustainability and focus on the physical expression of those elements along with basic contractual and education activities necessary to realize the vision.

PowerPoint presentation (ppt)

PDF of PowerPoint presentation (pdf)

About the Speaker

Margaret Cederoth, AICP, was the sustainability manager for the Masdar Institute project from 2007 to 2009. She has been an urban planner at Parsons Brinckerhoff since 2002, and currently leads sustainable design initiatives at PB. She has a Master of Urban and Regional Planning degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.