They're Building A Carbon-Neutral City In The Middle Of The Desert

Masdar City, a clean-energy metropolis being built in Abu Dhabi, will be the world's first carbon-free city.

We first heard about Masdar City over at the Futurology page on Reddit.

The eco-friendly city, which began development in 2006, will cost between $18 and $19 billion, with a projected finish by 2025.

Funded by the government-subsidiary Mubadala Development Company, Masdar City will play host to the International Renewable Energy Agency headquarters, while also seeking to become a hub for other cleantech companies.

Spanning 2.3 square miles, approximately 1,500 businesses will operate in Masdar, supporting an anticipated 40,000 residents and 50,000 commuters.

The city won't feature any skyscrapers or allow any cars, instead featuring its own futuristic "Personal Rapid Transit System" and mass transit options.

Masdar will house the largest solar farm in the Middle East in addition to wind farms on the city's outskirts, providing a total of 150 megawatts of energy to power the sustainable city.

A solar-powered distillation plant is planned to decrease Masdar's water needs, and about 80% of the city's water is planned to be recycled.

You can check out more photos of the sustainable city here.