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Future flower-shaped sustainable city will be most walkable on Earth

The city is set to begin construction in 2024.

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(URB via SWNS)

By Dean Murray via SWNS

An incredible flower-shaped sustainable city will be the most walkable on earth.

Called XZERO, it would be the world’s largest net-zero community, allowing 100,000 Kuwaiti residents to live in balance with nature.

UAE-based designers URB say the city, set to begin construction in 2024, will provide food and energy security whilst promoting a green circular economy in an eco-friendly live, work and visit destination.

Configured in a flower-shaped pattern, planning was optimized to limit vehicular access, thus maximizing landscape ratio, to create a walkable city.

The central area is surrounded by so-called hubs, with locations dedicated to education, entertainment and medical facilities.

More than 65% of the land area is given to open spaces, such as productive landscapes, non-productive landscapes, permeable pavements, sports fields, and courtyards.

URB says the increase of landscape area will promote social activities, biodiversity and microclimate optimization which will also mitigate the effects of rising temperatures and urban heat islands.

(URB via SWNS)

The 1,600-hectare development is planned for the southern region of Kuwait to provide 30,000 residential units, as well as 30,000 green jobs, which will be created in various hubs such as medical, tourism, technology, educational, retail and entertainment.

XZERO will promote sustainable tourism through its various eco-friendly hospitality assets, including a 5-star eco-resort and eco-lodges.

Edutainment attractions such as the utility park and nature conservation center are touted to transform the city into a unique visitor attraction.

The green-tech hub will promote a collaborative innovative environment in food, energy, water and waste tech. The medical hub will feature an autism village, wellness center and clinics.

The educational hub will feature a nursery, school and an institute, while the commercial hub will include indoor mall and flexible office spaces.

CEO of URB, Baharash Bagherian, who has masterminded designs of various sustainable cities including recently launched projects such as AlNama, Nexgen, The Sustainable City in Yiti, The Sustainable City Yas Island and many more yet to be revealed, explains the significance of XZERO as a new benchmark for future cities.

“The creation of sustainable cities that follow the highest standards of living with lowest impact on the environment is no longer a choice, it has become a necessity.

"XZERO is planned with multi-functional holistic solutions that address the three key pillars of sustainability; social, economic and environmental.

(URB via SWNS)

“The heart of this project is the unique resilient landscape, which is multifunctional and designed to promote health, wellbeing and biodiversity.

"The landscape is the social glue to the entire city, which will promote a vibrant neighbourhood whilst connecting residents to all amenities within minutes.

"The landscape is integrated with wadis to enhance resilience and livability whilst also promoting variation of habitats for wildlife.

"The landscape is also productive, incorporating many different urban farming methods such as community gardens, biodomes, aquaponics, vertical farms and biosaline agriculture.”

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The city is designed and optimized in planning to be the most walkable city on earth.

Primary and secondary walking networks are well shaded and connected with other modes of green transport such as cycling and electric buggies to offer residents the safest, most convenient and enjoyable travel to every aspect of the city.

The city provides 35km of dedicated running and cycling tracks as well as a 9km of equestrian track which connects to the equestrian center.

URB explains: "Ultimately the city will provide the highest quality of life whilst protecting the environment for future generations. It will become a new benchmark for future cities to be planned in tune with nature, whilst promoting a greener circular economy."

Spokesperson Gabriela Dostanic adds: "It is designed to be built – we are aiming for construction to start in 2024 and completion by 2034."

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