DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) — The Sultanate of Oman has unveiled ambitious plans to build a new “smart” city to house 100,000 people outside the capital Muscat. What are the details?
The city of Sultan Haitham covers an area of 14.8 square kilometers and is roughly the same size as the city of Beverly Hills, but has a population of about three times the size.
The project, shared exclusively with CNN by US architecture firm Owings and Merrill, includes around 20,000 homes, as well as a university, schools, health facilities and mosques.
It is to be built on a largely undeveloped site in Seeb, several kilometers west of Muscat.
Work on the project will begin next year. It will be completed in 4 phases.
In a press release, the architectural firm said the project will provide “vibrant public space, high-quality, affordable housing with smart urban mobility.”
Although the term “smart city” does not have a universally accepted definition, it generally describes Internet-enabled devices that collect and use data from sensors, cameras, and the built environment.
Although critics have raised privacy concerns, many urbanites believe that big data will help cities provide more effective and efficient public services, including traffic management and environmental monitoring.
In a statement, Bernard Reddick, one of the company’s senior associate directors, noted that Madinat Haitham’s “smart infrastructure” will be used to “monitor environmental factors such as air quality and water management.”
The company added that its plans include a traffic management system, which currently uses “data from cameras and speed sensors” to adapt and control vehicles as traffic increases.
The new development is part of Oman’s Vision 2040, a government-led initiative aimed at increasing the use of renewable energy sources.
It seeks to reduce the country’s dependence on oil, which currently accounts for more than half of government revenue.
The company said it is designed to reduce the region’s “ecological footprint,” citing solar power facilities, wastewater recycling, electric vehicle infrastructure and waste-to-energy plants.
Architects were unable to determine how much energy the area would generate from renewable energy sources.
However, Oman’s target is to generate 30% of its electricity from green sources by 2030, the engineers noted.
The company explained that its design responds to high temperatures and humidity in Muscat. Temperatures have been known to exceed 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
Recently released digital renderings of the project depict shadowy streets surrounded by brick and wood structures.
Roads and buildings will be operated to maximize shading and promote natural ventilation, the company said.
In a statement, Oman’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning described the development as an “urban expansion” of Muscat.
The new area is to be connected to the Omani capital at the tip of the Arabian Peninsula by a mass transit system.
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