islarattray.bsky.social
@islarattray.bsky.social
McGill University
GEOG325: New Master-Planned Cities
www.ribaj.com/buildings/ma...
#newcities Masdar city is a key actor in promoting urban climate change solutions. The city is meant to be a net-zero city, using renewable energy, being car-free, and producing no waste. The goals originally set have been lessened as funding has decreased.
Masdar City: Where sustainability is written in the sand
As Abu Dhabi’s new desert city reaches maturity, its commitment to net-zero makes it both a test-bed for the world’s carbon ambitions
www.ribaj.com
November 9, 2025 at 10:28 PM
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...
#newcities While the intentions for this project were good, the reality is not looking good. There are few people living there and the construction has caused major environmental damage. The locals are unhappy with the income loss from both of these factors.
Indonesia’s new capital, Nusantara, in danger of becoming a ‘ghost city’
State funding for the project has plunged, while construction has slowed and few civil servants have been eager to move away from Jakarta
www.theguardian.com
November 9, 2025 at 9:24 PM
interestingengineering.com/culture/king...
#newcities The article discusses possible shortcomings of KAEC. The fact that it does not have nearly as many residents as expected is one area in which the project has failed. Only 10 000 of the projected 1 million people have moved to the city.
Why Saudi’s $100-billion King Abdullah city struggles to impress
Is KAEC a dream unfulfilled or just a slow starter? Explore the highs and lows of Saudi’s ambitious $100 Billion economic hub.
interestingengineering.com
November 9, 2025 at 7:46 PM
www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa...
#newcities Satellite cities have been seen as a solution for the problems faced in many Kenyan cities: overcrowding, congestion, etc. The article does address one problem with this though, the ghost city effect of the cities being built, but no one living there.
The cure for congested cities? Kenya is building new ones.
Many African satellite city projects have aimed too high, and failed to launch. But one such project in Kenya, Tatu City, is bucking the odds.
www.csmonitor.com
November 7, 2025 at 2:16 AM
globaldesignnews.com/partisans-tr...
#newcities
This new city is planned to be built in Canada (!!) north of Toronto. It seems very Garden City oriented, claiming that it will combine the rural lifestyle with urban advantages. The plan projects an idealistic and advanced way of life.
Partisans to transform Innisfil town into the 'city of the future' through advanced optical technology while maintaining its rural identity - Global Design News
The Orbit by Partisans and BDP Quadrangle is a visionary project for a cutting-edge new central neighborhood for the Canadian town of Innisfil, designed in response to the arrival of high-speed mass t...
globaldesignnews.com
November 6, 2025 at 8:20 PM
www.travelandleisureasia.com/sea/destinat...
#newcities Bhutan is building the Gelephu Mindfulness City, planned to span 2500 square kilometers. One of the main drivers for this is for tourism as it will attract international interest that was not as present before. The city includes a new airport.
How a Sci-Fi 'Mindfulness City' Will Bring Bhutan Into the Future
Bhutan may be the heritage poster child for sustainable travel, but this exciting development feels like it was plucked from science fiction.
www.travelandleisureasia.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:45 PM
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle...
#newcities The line has started being built, with the first phase supposed to be completed by late 2026. The question for me is who is going to want to live there with most of it not built. What entertainement, schools, law enforcment, etc will there be?
Saudi Arabia’s $500B NEOM Megacity: How far construction has come and how much longer until completion | World News - The Times of India
Middle East News: Discover the latest updates on the construction progress and challenges faced by Saudi Arabia's NEOM megacity project, including timelines, budget concerns, and futuristic urban livi...
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
November 6, 2025 at 2:00 AM
#newcities
This new capital of Andhra Pradesh in India is being master-planned by a UK based firm while taking inspiration from cities like Amsterdam, Singapore, and Tokyo. I wonder why they didn't find a more local firm from such a large country?
realty.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/infrast...
Work begins on Rs 65,000 crore Amaravati city project after five years
Amaravati City Project: The city on the banks of the Krishna river is envisioned to be an economic hub for the region and is expected to create 1.5 million jobs, house 3.5 million population and have ...
realty.economictimes.indiatimes.com
October 7, 2025 at 3:20 AM
#newcities
A proposal for a new city in China seeks to incorporate features from both the 'earth' and the 'sky'. Earth refers to the natural landscape and terrain, while sky refers to the modern building and tech. An example of a city wanting to be seen as "green".
www.archdaily.com/950249/mvrdv...
MVRDV Unveils "Sky Valley", Chengdu Future Science and Technology City, in Southwest China
MVRDV has revealed the first images of Chengdu Sky Valley, the firm’s competition entry for the Future Science and Technology City in Southwest China.
www.archdaily.com
October 6, 2025 at 10:22 PM
#newcities
Djibouti has employed Singaporean planners to help with the design of a new city. The countries have similarities in population, ports, and politics. They are looking to develop the sustainability as well as resilience to climate change of the new cities.
african.business/2025/04/long...
Singapore inspires bold new city master plan
With over 70% of the population of Djibouti now living in the City, the old colonial-era urban planning is no longer fit for purpose. A comprehensive redrawing of the urban master plan, now based on t...
african.business
October 2, 2025 at 2:43 AM
#newcities
One concern of charter cities is the harm that it can do to the 'host' state, but the leaders of these projects argue that they would benefit both the investors' countries as well as the hosts. This seems idealistic as it would be difficult to evenly do.
www.resilience.org/stories/2025...
Charter Cities Attempting to Create a New Atlantis
From deregulated economic zones to experiments in private governance, charter city projects aim to reshape how we live. Their rise compounds concerns over sovereignty and the ideological and financial...
www.resilience.org
October 1, 2025 at 5:01 PM
#newcities
This article, outlining Trump's idea of "Freedom Cities", was written while he was campaigning in 2023, and highlights his fault of often proposing very unattainable ideas and not being able to follow through. He also wanted to invest in flying cars.
www.politico.com/news/2023/03...
Trump calls for contest to create futuristic ‘Freedom Cities’
The former president also wants to spark a wave of vertical-takeoff-and-landing vehicles.
www.politico.com
October 1, 2025 at 4:02 PM
#newcities
A new mega-resort, including hotels and shopping malls, is being built at Mount Sinai. This is going to completely change the lanscape and history of this important World Heritage Site. I am curious how this was even permitted given the inevitable damage.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
One of the world's most sacred places Mount Sinai is being turned into a mega-resort
The biblical site of Mount Sinai in Egypt is at the heart of an unholy row over plans to build a huge new tourism project.
www.bbc.com
October 1, 2025 at 4:03 AM
#newcities
While this article presents the idea that the new city is for the good of the local population, I wonder if this is actually the intent or if it is also an attempt to attract foreign populations. Even the name, "Westown", depicts a rather Western ideal.
coingeek.com/south-africa...
South Africa launches $800M smart city
The new city "Westown" will be developed over the next 15 years, generating 23,000 new jobs and tapping into the latest tech to enhance quality of life.
coingeek.com
October 1, 2025 at 2:44 AM
#newcities
Khalid Bin Sultan City in UAE, is designed to put sustainability and community in the top priorities. While the city sounds like a "dreamscape", it seems very idealistic and possibly hard to acheive. No date of completion has been announced.
www.rudebaguette.com/en/2025/06/u...
“UAE Unveils Futuristic Dreamscape”: Zaha Hadid Architects Design Entire New City Built Around a Massive Oasis Core
The vibrant and forward-thinking approach of Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) has once again been showcased in their latest project—a new city in Sharjah, United
www.rudebaguette.com
September 21, 2025 at 8:08 PM
#newcities #mcgill
Having Egypt's New Administrative Capital planners aid with development in Madagascar, specifically a new capital called Tanamasoandro, is meant to be a mutually beneficial relationship between the two nations.
www.egypttoday.com/Article/1/13...
Egypt’s ACUD to develop Madagascar’s new capital tanamasoandro
Madagascar Looks to Egypt’s Urban Development Success for New Capital
www.egypttoday.com
September 21, 2025 at 7:54 PM
#newcities
Guantanamo Bay is currently an American military base, but it has been suggested that it could be a new US charter city because of it's ideal placement along key shipping routes. The Charter Cities Institute has proposed this plan.

unchartedterritories.tomaspueyo.com/p/ten-new-us...
Ten New US Cities: 1. Guantanamo City
Why we should turn Guantanamo Bay into Guantanamo City
unchartedterritories.tomaspueyo.com
September 17, 2025 at 4:34 PM
#newcities

Stockholm Wood City plans to use engineered wood for construction as it's a more environmentally friendly alternative to steel or concrete. Construction is set to start in 2025, with an 80 apartment residential block (and be completed by late 2025??).

www.newsweek.com/gigantic-woo...
Gigantic wooden city being built in Europe will be 2.7M s...
The Stockholm Wood City project will be 2.7 million square feet large.
www.newsweek.com
September 16, 2025 at 2:22 AM
#newcities Tech companies are looking to use the somewhat abandoned Forest City as a "network state", a type of nation-state built on technology. The island is benefiecial for this venture because of its isolation away from the resrictions of Western policies.

www.webpronews.com/from-ghost-t...
From Ghost Town to Network State: Reviving Malaysia’s Forest City
Malaysia's failed $100 billion Forest City megaproject, once envisioned as a luxury eco-city, has become a ghost town due to overbuilding and geopolitical issues. Now, led by Balaji Srinivasan, tech i...
www.webpronews.com
September 16, 2025 at 1:53 AM
#newcities

Interesting to see that Kuwait is auctioning off part of the financial burden to foreign private sectors as opposed to trying to finance the projects themselves, despite being a major oil hub.

www.reuters.com/world/middle...
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch
Kuwait's government on Sunday invited local and international companies to take the first step in bidding for contracts as part of its plans to develop three new cities to help tackle a shortage of housing in the oil-rich country.
www.reuters.com
September 15, 2025 at 6:59 PM