Florida and Vegas – green makeover

Major eco developments create homes and jobs

Newbuild idylls designed with green energy, transport and space in mind are changing the face of major US tourism destinations.

In the ‘sunshine state’ of Florida, there are plans to build the world’s first solar-powered city. The state utility, Florida Power & Light, has partnered Washington-based property developer Kitson & Partners to build a 75MW solar plant on the outskirts of Fort Meyers. The $350 million project will power the new 17,000 acre city of Babcock Ranch.

The city will include some 20,000 homes, six million square feet of retail and light industrial space, and 8,000 acres of green space. The entire design is intended to promote a healthy, sustainable lifestyle, where people walk or cycle to and from work, and exercise in local parks and the Wellness and Fitness centre, a key feature of the downtown area. A study by consultancy Fishkind & Associates estimates the city will generate 20,000 jobs.

Meanwhile, a couple of thousand miles west, the Las Vegas Strip is getting a facelift in the form of an 18 million-square-foot sustainable development centre. The ‘CityCenter’ will be powered in part by an 8.5MW natural gas generation plant, and will employ new water conservation technology estimated to save up to 40% within the buildings and 60% in outdoor landscaping.

In keeping with the feel of ‘The Strip’, the development will also have a fleet of stretch limos on hand, powered by compressed natural gas.

While these initiatives are laudable, Martin Hunt, Head of Built Environment at Forum for the Future, thinks the effort may be misplaced. With 80% of existing building stock expected to be standing come 2050, “the priority for any city should be retrofitting existing communities to low carbon standards, rather than building new ones”. – Tricia Holly Davis

3 November 2009

Tricia Holly Davis