Dubai to Create the World's First Climate-Controlled City

[M II A II R II K]

Dubai to Create the World's First Climate-Controlled City


July 7th, 2014

BY ADARIO STRANGE

Read More: http://mashable.com/2014/07/07/dubai...ontrolled-city

While some of the planet's richest nations are focused on the issue of climate change and how to lessen humanity's impact on the environment, officials in Dubai have plans that may ultimately eliminate the concern altogether by building a climate-controlled city.

- Called the Mall the of the World, the 48 million square-foot mini-metropolis would be the first city-sized enclosure to allow residents to completely avoid outside conditions for extended periods of time. Using 4.5 miles of enclosed promenades, the vision of Dubai Holding, the developer of the project, is to allow visitors the ability to experience normal city life inside the controlled environment for weeks on end.

- Although the idea of such a massive enclosure might seem off-putting some, because of Dubai's extreme summer temperatures, which average 104 degrees, the temperature-controlled environment could become the region's most popular destination. During Dubai's winter months, when temperatures average 73 degrees, the city's enclosed promenades will be opened to allow in the fresh air.

- Included in the city will be 100 hotels and luxury apartments, a "wellness district" designed to attract medical tourists (an increasingly important aspect of Dubai's business development) and what the project's developers expect to be the largest theme park in the world. "Tourism is key driver of our economy and we aim to make the UAE [the United Arab Emirates] an attractive destination all year long," said Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, in a statement on Saturday. "This is why we will start working on providing pleasant temperature-controlled environments during the summer months."

- While the immediate intention of the Mall of the World may be to offer luxury in the middle of the desert, in the light of increasing pollution concerns in major cities like Beijing, the atmosphere-proof development may end up showing the entire world the way how such enclosed cities might work practically if we ever need them.

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[scalziand]

Darn. When I saw the title, I was hoping that they were proposing a giant dome to cover the city. It's just a bunch of covered over streets.

[M II A II R II K]

Yea, the dome concept would at least give it the feeling of being outside without being outside, as opposed to a gigantic mall with residences. A dome that blocks out the heat and still lets air in would be even better.

[dc_denizen]

Nauseatingly wasteful, irresponsible, and disgusting all-around. Think what the surplus from fossil fuels could have funded - space exploration, asteroid defense, science and research. Instead we get more and more energy-sucking mega malls in the desert.

[The North One]

So, they're literally building Rapture, but above the sea.

[pdxtex]

yessssss.

[pdxtex]

pauley shore is getting stoked.

[Gresto]

Originally Posted by dc_denizen

Nauseatingly wasteful, irresponsible, and disgusting all-around. Think what the surplus from fossil fuels could have funded - space exploration, asteroid defense, science and research. Instead we get more and more energy-sucking mega malls in the desert.

Yep, the first sentence just about sums up Dubai in general.

[llamaorama]

Dubai craziness is back! The retractable roof design makes me think of the new thing in downtown Salt Lake City. Forgive my ignorance but I believe it works the same way. Though it's only about 2 or 3 blocks in size.

Isn't the ultimate achilles heal of a development like this the dependency on central management, since the buildings are all connected? I realize they could close off and rebuild segments at a time in the distant future. The lovely thing about a city is that it's "modular" compared to be a mono-culture mega-development.

[10023]

Originally Posted by dc_denizen

Nauseatingly wasteful, irresponsible, and disgusting all-around. Think what the surplus from fossil fuels could have funded - space exploration, asteroid defense, science and research. Instead we get more and more energy-sucking mega malls in the desert.

This.

I really dislike the Gulf states.

[MolsonExport]

Probably the most wasteful place in the world, proposes to do even worse.

[M II A II R II K]

And built off of the backs of slavery no doubt.

[MolsonExport]

in the light of increasing pollution concerns in major cities like Beijing, the atmosphere-proof development may end up showing the entire world the way how such enclosed cities might work practically if we ever need them.

as opposed to say, rectifying pollution? Fucking head in the sand solution. ersatzville strikes again.

[atlantaguy]

I don't care what they do in Dubai.

I have several friends that have been and they said it was 'okay.' I personally have absolutely no desire to ever go.

Like others have said, I have issues with the region too. At the top of the list is the treatment of women, gays and foreign workers.

[10023]

It's things like this that make me wish the whole "war for oil" theme was real. That the western powers did just occupy oil fields all over the Middle East and take the stuff. It would be easier to do than controlling population centers (especially when you can just destroy anything that comes into a perimeter), and it could be put to better use than this nonsense.

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by M II A II R II K

And built off of the backs of slavery no doubt.

Yes; Just like the US, Egypt and most every successful society.

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by M II A II R II K

[SIZE="5"]Dubai to Create the World's

The drawings look amazing though.

[Perklol]

Originally Posted by dc_denizen

Nauseatingly wasteful, irresponsible, and disgusting all-around. Think what the surplus from fossil fuels could have funded - space exploration, asteroid defense, science and research. Instead we get more and more energy-sucking mega malls in the desert.

Right and cars are any better?

[M II A II R II K]

This city would at least be car free.

[Wizened Variations]

Yup, boils down to the old "How much space can I air condition the cheapest using passive tools as well as modern technology?" question.

I suspect the conceptualizers worked backwards from a rectilinear space that would take net X energy units to lower temperature per degree C. They then would add smaller rectilinear cubes in layers, bottom up, within the enclosing cube, and, defined a 3-D histogramic surface whose net area would have to be cooled as defined by the large, enclosing rectilinear volume of air.

Then pretty the thing up, put a lot of architectural eye candy in the scheme and see if it sells.

The only issues in Dubai are heat and water: how to cool things down, and, how to get enough fresh water to waste.