Eco-Dream City: Where Innovation Leads the Way

The holiday season is in full swing and, everywhere you look, gift-giving abounds. But this year our holiday wish isn’t for the latest hot gadget or fancy toy; it’s to see communities continue to invest in sustainable solutions.

Over the last year, we’ve examined cities that are focused on investing in sustainability in a myriad number of ways—from a community in New Jersey installing solar panels in their neighborhoods, to an entire business district in South Korea relying on LED-powered traffic lights and public transportation. But, of course, no one city can be perfect.

That’s why we’re using our holiday wish to create our very own Ecomagination Dream City (EDC), featuring some of the most cutting-edge technology and thoughtful innovations from around the world.

Here are some of the features the EDC includes:

1. EV solar carports: New electric vehicles—and their better batteries—are continuing to make waves in the automobile and public transportation industry. The EDC would feature accessibility to car charging stations that are fueled by clean and renewable solar power.

2. Light rail systems: Want to reduce toxic emissions while also eliminating your chance of getting stuck in a traffic jam? Light rail systems, like the one already available in Denver, Colorado, do just that by providing easy access to high-speed public transportation.

3. Biomass power plants: In these facilities, energy is created by burning pieces of discarded wood that would otherwise take up space in landfills or be left to rot on forest floors. This and other renewable energy sources play a pivotal role in reducing our demand for fossil fuels.

4. Vertical forests: This revolution in architecture takes the versatility of a skyscraper and adds the beauty of nature in the form of miniature forests planted all the way up and around the structure. There’s currently one being built in Milan, and we expect to see many more popping up in the next few years.

5. Hydroelectric facilities: From dams to underground power stations, hydroelectricity can be harnessed in locations around the world that have easy access to flowing water.

Happy Holidays from ecomagination.com. Here’s to hoping all of your holiday wishes come true!

What features would you include in your dream city? Share your thoughts on Twitter or Facebook, or leave a comment below. We’ll add your ideas to our drawing and post it at a later date.

Illustration by Dan Matutina.