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Plans unveiled for a forested ‘Smart City’ in Mexico

Source: stefanoboeriarchitetti.net

Italian architect Stefano Boeri’s ‘Smart Forest City Cancun’ is conceived to be completely food and energy self-sufficient while absorbing more CO2 than it generates.

Smart Forest City Cancun is a Botanical Garden, within a contemporary city, based on Mayan heritage

Italian architect Stefano Boeri has unveiled plans to create a forested smart city in Cancun, Mexico, that is designed to be a "pioneer" of more eco-efficient developments. Smart Forest City Cancun is to be built on a 557 hectare (2.15 square miles) site near the Mexican city of the same name. According to the architect it will contain 7.5 million plants, including numerous species of trees, shrubs and bushes chosen by botanist and landscape architect Laura Gatti.

"Smart Forest City Cancun is a Botanical Garden, within a contemporary city, based on Mayan heritage and in its relationship with the natural and sacred world," said Stefano Boeri Architetti. "An urban ecosystem where nature and city are intertwined and act as one organism."

Giving back to nature a large area where it would have been built a shopping district. 400 hectares of green spaces with 7.500.000 plants (of 400 different species chosen carefully by Laura Gatti, botanist and landscape architect) 260.000 of which will be trees, 2.3 trees per inhabitant, and the rest composed of shrubs and bushes.
The new city will host 130.000 inhabitants on a land area of 557 hectares Giving back to nature a large area where it would have been built a shopping district. 400 hectares of green spaces with 7.500.000 plants (of 400 different species chosen carefully by Laura Gatti, botanist and landscape architect) 260.000 of which will be trees, 2.3 trees per inhabitant, and the rest composed of shrubs and bushes. Source: stefanoboeriarchitetti.net

It’s hoped the city could be a “pioneer” for more eco-efficient developments

The Cancun project forms of part of Boeri’s Forest City concept – which will see cities made up of plant-covered skyscrapers rolled out across China’s urban areas – and the abundance of greenery is intended to depollute the surrounding environment.

Boeri’s firm hopes the project will be built in lieu of a huge shopping mall, and reforest a site that was turned into a sand quarry for hotels.

"Thanks to the new public parks and private gardens, thanks to the green roofs and to the green facades, the areas actually occupied will be given back by nature through a perfect balance between the amount of green areas and building footprint," said the firm, as reported by Dezeen.

Thanks to the new public parks and private gardens, thanks to the green roofs and to the green facades, the areas actually occupied will be given back by nature through a perfect balance between the amount of green areas and building footprint.
The Smart Forest City will absorb 116.000 tons of carbon dioxide with 5.800 tons of CO2 stocked per year Thanks to the new public parks and private gardens, thanks to the green roofs and to the green facades, the areas actually occupied will be given back by nature through a perfect balance between the amount of green areas and building footprint. Source: stefanoboeriarchitetti.net

Smart City Cancun to be a closed-loop circular economy

Boeri, the architect behind many vertical forests, teamed up with German engineering company Transsolar to design Smart Forest City Cancun to be self-sufficient in producing its own food and energy. Among the elements included to promote the circular economy are solar panels, and farmland that will be irrigated by an embedded water system.

Water will be collected in a basin at the entrance of the city, which will also include a desalination tower, and then distributed throughout canals.

Due to Cancun’s close proximity to the Carribean Sea, the parcel is encircled by "water gardens" that bolster it against flooding. Renderings of the development show that these waterways can also be used for pleasure boating around the development.

Other features of the future neighbourhood include an internal electric and semi-automatic mobility system developed by Milan urban and transportation planning firm MIC (Mobility in Chain). The systems means that all residents will leave vehicles on the outskirts.

Source: Dezeen


An open and international city whose development is focused on technological innovation and environmental quality.
Smart Forest City – Cancun is the first Forest City of the new millennium An open and international city whose development is focused on technological innovation and environmental quality. Source: stefanoboeriarchitetti.net

The Smart Forest City can absorb 116, 000 tons of CO2 with 5,800 tons of CO2 stocked per year

“The Smart Forest City will absorb 116, 000 tons of carbon dioxide with 5,800 tons of CO2 stocked per year."  say the architects.

With concerns about climate change, pollution, habitat destruction and animal extinction rising, the firm believes the city could be a "pioneer" for more eco-efficient developments.

"Indeed the effort of the smart Forest City of Cancun could make our world a better place, reducing significantly the negative impacts on the environment, possibly being a pioneer for a new kind of human settlement, a man made city for nature and biodiversity," said the firm.

A city that could host all worldwide university departments, international organisations and companies that deal with very important sustainability issues and the future of the planet. New research and development departments are planned, dedicated to welcome researchers and young students from Mexico and from the best academies and universities from all over the world.
The city will be a center for advanced research A city that could host all worldwide university departments, international organisations and companies that deal with very important sustainability issues and the future of the planet. New research and development departments are planned, dedicated to welcome researchers and young students from Mexico and from the best academies and universities from all over the world. Source: stefanoboeriarchitetti.net

The City will be home to 130,000 inhabitants, who will become “gardeners” of the plants

There will be a variety of affordable, and plant-covered, housing aimed at different residents, including students, researchers and professors.

“We have designed different types of housing that could include all the types of inhabitants," said the firm. "This will include affordable buildings for young students, researchers, professors."

The complex is also designed to become a centre for advanced research with six facilities that address some of the leading issues in today’s society: bio-healthcare; astrophysics and planetary science; coral reef restoration; precision farming and regenerative technology; smart city; and mobility and robotics.

"The idea behind this project is to create a district dedicated to research and innovation (the fields will be: molecular biology, robotics, IT, etc) where academic institutions and research centres meet, along with big multinational corporations and the new generations of students and researchers, Mexican and from all over the world," said the firm.

Boeri presented the concept masterplan and project to the Region and the Municipality in March, and is awaiting approval.

Source: Dezeen

Six facilities are planned that address some of the leading issues in today's society: bio-healthcare; astrophysics and planetary science; coral reef restoration; precision farming and regenerative technology; smart city; and mobility and robotics.
The complex is also designed to become a centre for advanced research Six facilities are planned that address some of the leading issues in today’s society: bio-healthcare; astrophysics and planetary science; coral reef restoration; precision farming and regenerative technology; smart city; and mobility and robotics. Source: stefanoboeriarchitetti.net
Of 400 different species chosen carefully by Laura Gatti, botanist and landscape architect, 260.000 will be trees, 2.3 trees per inhabitant, and the rest composed of shrubs and bushes.
400 hectares of green spaces with 7.500.000 plants and 2.3 trees per citizen Of 400 different species chosen carefully by Laura Gatti, botanist and landscape architect, 260.000 will be trees, 2.3 trees per inhabitant, and the rest composed of shrubs and bushes. Source: stefanoboeriarchitetti.net

The project forms part of a wave of new smart cities proposed for areas across North America

Others include a future city on the Toronto waterfront by Google’s sister company Sidewalk Labs,  a project in Arizona’s desert planned by billionaire Bill Gates, and a development in Nevada backed by cryptocurrency millionaire Jeffrey Berns, and The Via Verde project in Mexico City

Thanks to the public parks and private gardens, the green roofs and to the green facades, the areas actually occupied will be given back by nature through a perfect balance between the amount of green areas and building footprint.
The Smart Forest City will absorb 116.000 tons of carbon dioxide with 5.800 tons of CO2 stocked per year Thanks to the public parks and private gardens, the green roofs and to the green facades, the areas actually occupied will be given back by nature through a perfect balance between the amount of green areas and building footprint. Source: stefanoboeriarchitetti.net
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