A future town on the air plan proposal

ENBE | Final Project | Part A – Report | The Future Town Representation

Amanda Chiong | 0320328 | Pn. Hasmanira | FNBE August 2014 | Taylor’s University

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A Future Town On The Air Plan

Proposal

The iNfinity∞

Name : Amanda Chiong Pei Shan Student ID : 0320328 Course : Foundation in Natural and Built Environment Module : Elements of Natural and Built Environment Intake : August 2014



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Content Bil. Topic Page

1.

Introduction

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2.

A Town

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3.

Investigation & Data

Collection : The Ancient Towns

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4.


Collection : The Present Towns

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5.


Collection : The Future Towns

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The New “X” Town :

The iNfinity∞

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7.

The Conclusion

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8.

Reference Links 30



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1. Introduction Due to the reason that “X” town is no

longer livable, as a mayor of the town, we had to propose a new layout of the new town with certain concepts of town such as underground, underwater, floating on water, in the air and on land.

This final project had divided into two parts which are Part A and Part B. Part A is individual work that requires a report about a plan proposal for the future town and a video presentation to explain the urban designing, zoning area and facilities of the new “X” town. For Part B, our group had to build a model of “X” town according to the lecturers’ selection of report among the group members.

So for our individual task, we had to research about various types of towns of different era and the infrastructure that makes a town for the further more details and generate ideas for planning our future town.



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2. A Town

2.1 What is a town? - A town is an urban area with a name, defined boundaries, and local government, and that is generally larger than a village and smaller than a city. Village < Town < City

- The size definition for what constitutes a "town" is undefined as it is varies considerably in different parts of the world.

- Population for a town is ranging from 100,000 to 999,999 depends on the size and location of the town. 2.2 Brief History

The building of towns has a long and complex history. All towns display various degrees of forethought and conscious design in their layout and functioning although town planning as an organized profession has existed for less than a century.

However, the requirements for the "urban revolution" were finally met during the fourth millennium B.C.. Towns exist for many reasons, for example, agriculture, provide protection, human culture evolution,



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communication centers, and so forth.

The Australian geographer, Thomas Griffith Taylor had proposed a classification of towns based on their age and pattern of land use.

Age of Town Scheme He identified five types of town: a. Infantile towns - no clear zoning b. Juvenile towns - have developed an area of shops c. Adolescent towns - factories have started to appear d. Early mature towns - with a separate area of high-class housing e. Mature towns - with defined industrial, commercial and various types of residential area 2.3 What makes a town? A town should be equipped with certain basic elements to achieve the basic needs of residents. The physical elements of the town can be divided into three categories: a. Population of people A town requires an amount of people to gather and live together in it. An area cannot be defined as a town if there is no one who willing to live in it. Thus, a town should be livable by humans in a



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condition that achieve the basic qualification based on the basic needs of humans. b. Facilities A town should provide services such as residential area, recreation area, education area, commercial area, government center, health services, culture center and so on. Basic public transportation such as buses and taxis should be ready in the town to allow the resident can travel conveniently around the town. Other than that, the town should be able to supply food, water and energy sufficiently and efficiently. c. Infrastructures Infrastructure is the technical structures of interrelated systems that provide commodities and services essential to enable, sustain, or enhance societal living conditions, such as roads, bridges, highways, water supply, electrical grid, telecommunication, and so forth that support the facilities. 2.4 What makes a good town? A good town is a place that you want to stay and also a place where you can afford to be in all currencies such as carbon and money. A good town is a place where people build their social capital and a sense of community. A good town should include certain qualification, for example, a good town should be resilient, agile and adaptable to change.



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The following are some examples of key factors that make up a good town. • renewable energy for town - Global energy crisis and chaos can be solved by developing renewable energy to replace the non renewable energy, for example, fossil fuels(such as coal, petroleum and natural gas) and certain aquifers. • low-carbon urban transportation -Urban transportation, which dependent on cars and fossil fuel, is a major factor of causing air pollution and greenhouse effects. Therefore, renewable energy sources, public transportation, bicycle and pedestrian should be the major transportation system in the town to decrease impact on global climate. • diversity of neighborhood and environment - Neighborhood characteristics and zoning areas should be diverse and classified properly to avoid the chaos of the area and provide a convenient and comfortable environment for the residents to live in it. • durable construction - There are no people willing to live in a town that surrounds by unstable building. Thus, safety and security of residents should always be the primary goal during the design and construction of buildings. • energy-efficient buildings - Heating and cooling of residential area and office space waste a huge amount of energy. To make buildings more energy efficient, smart climate control devices and insulation that can



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help to save energy at the same time should be installed in buildings. 2.5 What is a future town?

The concept of future town is highly topical. However, it’s difficult to make a statement of what is a future town and what is the elements that make it futuristic as there is no any actual definition and stated requirement for a future town. The concept of a future town is dependence on our own minds and opinions based on the condition of the present town to change it into a better phase.

For my own opinions, a future town should consist of everything listed out previously above (2.4 What makes a good town?). Other than that, based on the results of research, I founded that a future town can be conducted by overlapping among Smart Town, Sustainable Town and Eco Town. A future town is not only should consist of high tech facilities and modern design concept but also have to include the sense of green and environmentally awareness to protect the environment at the same time to build a sustainable town which are livable by humans and the changes have already started. This concept had already started to apply equally to a certain new or existing



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town like some of the western towns. But it is for sure that it is impossible for successful towns to happen coincidentally as a successful town requires autonomy combined with visionary leadership and collaborative partnership.



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3. Investigation & Data Collection: The Ancient Town

Baoshan Stone Town The Baoshan Stone Town is an old town

on a huge stone, which is nearly 500 kilometers (310 miles) from Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan Province. It is located in the southwest of Yunnan Province, situated by Jinsha River Canyon, about 120 kilometers north of Lijiang.The town is called “stone town” because it was built giant mushroom-shaped stone. All of the houses and furniture in the town are made of natural stones which amazed the visitors by the superb craftsmanship done by the town ancestors hundreds of years ago.

The town was built between 1277-1294 in Yuan Dynasty(1271-1368). It has a history of over 800 years. In ancient times, this area was called Yongchang until the name of Baoshan had replaced it in 1524. Historically, it was the first residence for human settlers in western Yunnan. In 1253, the prince of the Yuan Dynasty, Kublai, led his army to seize Dali city. After his army passed Jinsha River Canyon, they rested at a stone village and became the first villagers in Baoshan Stone Town.



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The Baoshan Stone Town is the original habitat of the Naxi Ethnic Group. during the Northern and Southern dynasties (420AD-589AD), Naxi people migrated here. Now over 100 Naxi families are still living in the town. They are very friendly to tourists and always greet the visitors with genuine smiles.

One side of the town is a stone slope faces Jinsha River Canyon, and the other three sides of the giant stone are steep cliffs. There are only two entrance stone gates which located in the south and north of the town for access which forms a natural strategic pass throughout the whole town. Houses were built according to the topography of the rock, and all the cultivable hillsides around the town have been turned into terraced fields around the town. Their own language, houses and architecture have been well preserved in the town, reflecting the true life of the Naxi people.

There are no public buses going to the Baoshan Stone Village. It uses about one and one-half hours to go from Lijiang to Baoshan County, and then visitors have to walk another three hours to get to the town. Due to the complex topography at low altitude in plateau, its weather is moderate throughout the year. The annual average temperature falls between 14 and 17 degree centigrade but the temperature varies greatly during a day. The special local products in this town are jade



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article, rattan weaving product, Chinese Xuan Paper (for painting and calligraphy) of Tengchong County; Weiqi (the game of go) chessmans of Yongchang County and Arabica coffee bean. The view in Baoshan Stone Town is breathtaking during the summer and autumn.

Scenery of Baoshan Stone Town

Location of Baoshan Stone Town



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Conclusion :

It’s a town located near to nature although the transportation is not available and it is very inconvenient to get to that place. But it’s very worthy to go there as you can enjoy the good scenery there which you can’t have this experience in the city.



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4. Investigation & Data Collection:

The Present Town Beijing

Beijing is the capital of China for about 850 years. It is located in northern China which is lying (102km) west of Bo Hai Sea. Beijing is a major transportation hub, with dozens of railways, roads and motorways passing through the city. It is also the destination of many international flights arriving in China. Beijing is regarded as the political, educational, and cultural center of China.

Beijing has been an integral part of China's history with a history of more than 3,000 years. There is at least some national historical significance behind a major building in Beijing, for examples, Great Wall of China, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and others. It is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China that offers China's most wonderful array of attractions. There is no any other town in the nation attracts more travelers than it.

Although most of it is influenced by its



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rich history, Beijing is a city that is in the process of reinventing its culture. The town has worked hard to modernize itself since receiving the honor of host to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, but still show the world the rich culture of China.

Old Beijing is wonderful and amazing while New Beijing is fantastic and exciting. Economic reform and the preparation of the 29t Olympic Games have accelerated the pace and scale of change and outfitted the town with a sense of modernity. Present-day Beijing offers an endless mixture of theatres, discos, bars, business centers, all kinds of restaurants and shopping malls that will delight visitors. Beijing boasts more than a hundred shopping malls, including the traditional shopping areas like Wangfujing, Qianmen Dashilan, and Xidan and the newly emerged business areas like Guomao, Oriental Xin Tian Di and Zhongguancun Square. There is a lot of famous attractions in Beijing, such as Water Cube, Bird Nest Stadium and so on.



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Beijing Map

Beijing Map

View of Beijing Town

Beijing Stadium – Bird Nest Stadium

Tiananmen Square



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Conclusion : The historical buildings in Beijing are really amazing and it’s interesting to know the historical backgrounds of each of the buildings. The buildings that inspired me is Beijing Bird Nest Stadium that has a natural appearance which is a bird nest’s shape.



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5. Investigation & Data Collection: The Future Town

Masdar Town Masdar Town is the first zero-carbon,

zero waste town that will only rely entirely on solar energy and other renewable energy sources which is being constructed near Abu Dhabi. It may sound unrealistic like a science-fiction fantasy or conceptual design, but it is already in the construction phase that will rise in the desert outside of Abu Dhabi. . The development is a project of the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company and has been largely designed by Foster & Partners. Masdar Town will be the world’s most sustainable metropolis with no cars and skyscrapers allowed in the town.

The public rapid transit system provided in the town represents a shift from ‘mass’ to ‘mini’ in the form of small programmable multi-person vehicles instead of private personal automobiles– but that is just the beginning. On the other hand, solar, wind and geothermal sources will fuel the town– sun-powered desalination plants will provide fresh water for the residents, which will in



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turn be carefully recycled (as will other biological waste). This new urban area aims to be the definitive regional hotspot for developing green energy and researching clean technology by practicing what it embodies on multiple levels.

The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology has already been built and more structures are on the way. By 2025, the target population of the inhabitants should be up to 50,000 within the walking distance of 2.3 square-mile perimeter is currently planned for development. The United Arab Emirates have long recognized the need to diversify their regional sources of revenue and develop self sufficiency outside of oil and conventional business – this comprehensive, ground-up town design is the latest step along a new long-term path.

A masterplan of Masdar City. It is being built by the Abu Dhabi Future Energy company, a subsidiary of Mubadala Development, with the majority of seed capital provided by the government of Abu Dhabi.



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A public rapid transit(PRT) station .

The solar power station consists of 768 solar collector assembly units and 27,648 absorber pipes.

Exhibition of Masdar's driverless cats at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, 2009.

Phase one of the city is now complete. By 2015, Masdar is expected to house 7,000 residents and 12,000 commuters from Abu Dhabi.



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Conclusion : It is a sustainable town which uses a lot of concepts to conserve and preserve the environment such as uses of renewable energy and modern public transport.



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6. The New “X” Town :

The iNfinity∞ 6.1 Introduction to the town

The massive redesign concept of The Infinity Town is to propose a town that consists of three important elements which are the concept of Smart Town, Sustainable Town and Eco Town. A town consists of these elements is designed with consideration of environmental impact and also high tech facilities.

Since the town having a big problem with the global warming and air pollution, thus I come out with a solution to build a town on the air. A town on the air can resist to the global warming and air pollution. A higher position of the town is cooler comparing to a town on the surface of the Earth.

For my new town, I named it The iNfinity∞ which I hope that this new town can be sustained from natural disaster and environment pollutions.



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6.2 Zoning of the town

The center of town is hanging by a spider web shaped network to four skyscrapers which located in different directions and the center of town is supported by two energy sources building under it to make the town



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more stable. The skyscrapers are separated from the residential area to reduce the pollution such as sound pollution, water pollution and air pollution which are major problems that happen in the town. The climate of the town is cooler compared to the town on the ground due to its higher altitude. The town doesn’t require any energy consumption to stay afloat on the air as it is hanging by a strong network and supported by two buildings under it. 6.3 The characteristics and elements in the town. a. Skyscrapers There are four skyscrapers all together in the town which have their own function. The functions of skyscrapers are divided into : - education, religious & cultures - government, health services, agriculture area - industrial area - business & commercial area The buildings are built on the path that surround the center of skyscraper spirally. By going down the building center, the size of the path increasing gradually. The transportation tube is located inside the center of skyscraper to allow easy access of the inhabitants throughout the whole skyscrapers. On the other hand, the outer surface of the center of each skyscraper is covered by green plants as shown in the Diagram 1.



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Diagram 1



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b. Transportation Tube

Diagram 2 There are two types of transportation tubes which combine together to form a network in the town. The main transportation tube is connected to the skyscrapers whereas the sub transportation tube connected the residential area to the sub transportation tube. The bullet shape public transportation will be adopted as the concept for the transport for the main transportation tube. The droplet shape public transportation will be used for the sub transportation tube which is inspired by the



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concept of the cable car and it seems like the water droplets on the spider web.



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b. Center of the town

Diagram 3

There is a recreational area hanging from the center of the town where the inhabitants can have outdoor activities here.



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7. Conclusion I’ve learned a lot of new and interesting

knowledge throughout the entire project assigned by the lecturer although the process is very tiring and sometimes I felt depressed when I met difficulties and lack of inspiration. From this project, I found that building a town is not an easy job because you cannot build a town according to what you want. To build a town, you had to consider the surrounding environment and the basic need of the residents. After you had done all the tasks mentioned above, you had to finish the last step which you had to check whether your town achieve the requirement and qualification for a town.

The elements and town zoning is very significant as it brings convenient and comfortable to the inhabitants. The basic elements that should be included in a town would be the residential area, commercial area and transportation networks. Other than that, I get to know with specific details of several ancient towns, present towns and future towns. By comparing among these towns, I had more understanding of the differences elements, design and town arrangement between the different era and the timeline and changes of towns as well.



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Reference Links http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Town http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-‐business/sustainable-‐cities-‐discussion-‐round-‐up http://www.p4sc.org/articles/all/global-‐view-‐what-‐makes-‐city-‐sustainable http://www.panoramio.com/photo/51887487 http://www.onthetrip.com/live/live/id/1085 http://www.yunnanadventure.com/tour-‐p146-‐12day-‐shangrila-‐tiger-‐leaping-‐gorge-‐baoshan-‐stone-‐town-‐and-‐lugu-‐lake-‐trekking-‐tour.html http://www.chinahighlights.com/lijiang/attraction/baoshan-‐stone-‐village.htm http://www.china.org.cn/top10/2012-‐04/12/content_25113446_6.htm http://weburbanist.com/2014/01/06/walkability-‐hyperdensity-‐14-‐concepts-‐for-‐future-‐cities/ http://www.wired.co.uk/magazine/archive/2013/12/features/reality-‐hits-‐masdar http://www.reuk.co.uk/Masdar-‐City-‐Zero-‐Carbon-‐Zero-‐Waste.htm

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A future town on the air plan proposal