ENBE X-city report - The Gold Zone

1. Introduction pg 3
2. The City pg 3-6
3. Investigation & Data Collection: Ancient city pg 7-9
4. Investigation & Data Collection: Present city pg 9-11
5. Investigation & Data Collection: Future city pg 12-13
6. Case study on the selected type of the future city pg 14-15
7. The Gold Zone pg 16-27
8. Conclusion pg 28
9. References list pg 29
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1. Introduction
In this project, we have to imagine and design a future city based on a
topic chosen by our group. The topics given are underground city, underwater
city, floating on water city, city in the air (or skyscraper city) and land next to a
river or sea. My group chose underground city as our topic.
In Part A, which is an individual component, we are asked to investigate,
research, understand, and propose a better future city based on the topic. We
need to explain and include the contents through a video presentation to show
our overall idea about the future city. The second task is that we are required
to produce a report digitally which contain the concise information about the
city.
2. The City
Definition of the city
- a large town / a place or situation characterized by a specified attribute.
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- a place where people live that is larger or more important than a town.
- a center of population, commerce, and culture.
History
Towns and cities have a long history, although opinions vary on whether any
particular ancient settlement can be considered a city. A city formed as central places
of trade for the benefit of the members living in close proximity to others facilitates
interaction of all kinds. These interactions generate both positive and negative
externalities between others' actions. Benefits include reduced transport costs,
exchange of ideas, sharing of natural resources, large local markets, and later in their
development, amenities such as running water and sewage disposal. Possible costs would
include higher rate of crime, higher mortality rates, higher cost of living, worse
pollution, traffic and high commuting times. Cities grow when the benefits of proximity
between people and firms are higher than the cost.
One characteristic that can be used to distinguish a small city from a large town
is organized government. A town accomplishes common goals through informal
agreements between neighbors or the leadership of a chief. A city has professional
administrators, regulations, and some form of taxation (food and other necessities or
means to trade for them) to feed the government workers. The governments may be
based on heredity, religion, military power, work projects (such as canal building), food
distribution, land ownership, agriculture, commerce, manufacturing, finance, or a
combination of those. Societies that live in cities are often called civilizations.
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What makes a city
Buildings
Buildings are the most pronounced elements of urban design - they shape and articulate
space by forming the streetwalls of the city. Well designed buildings and groups of
buildings work together to create a sense of place.
Public Space
Great public spaces are the living room of the city - the place where people come together
to enjoy the city and each other. Public spaces make high quality life in the city possible -
they form the stage and backdrop to the drama of life. Public spaces range from grand
central plazas and squares, to small, local neighborhood parks.
Streets
Streets are the connections between spaces and places, as well as being spaces
themselves. They are defined by their physical dimension and character as well as the size,
scale, and character of the buildings that line them. Streets range from grand avenues
such as the Champs-Elysees in Paris to small, intimate pedestrian streets. The pattern of
the street network is part of what defines a city and what makes each city unique.
Transport
Transport systems connect the parts of cities and help shape them, and enable movement
throughout the city. They include road, rail, bicycle, and pedestrian networks, and together
form the total movement system of a city. The balance of these various transport systems
is what helps define the quality and character of cities, and makes them either friendly or
hostile to pedestrians. The best cities are the ones that elevate the experience of the
pedestrian while minimizing the dominance of the private automobile.
Landscape
The landscape is the green part of the city that weaves throughout - in the form of urban
parks, street trees, plants, flowers, and water in many forms. The landscape helps define
the character and beauty of a city and creates soft, contrasting spaces and elements.
Green spaces in cities range from grand parks such as Central Park in New York City and
the Washington DC Mall, to small intimate pocket parks.
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What makes a good city
High standard of living is a key component of a good city. Standard of living generally
refers to the level of economic success, availability of necessities, infrastructure, schools and
education, health and sanitation, stability and sustainability of a city. Economic success brings
wealth and attracts investments to a city, in turn, more job opportunities and better quality of
employment are offered. In response to increase in household income, more consumer goods and
services are made available. The city government is also benefited from the growth of economic
activities. Increase in revenue of the city government enables them to spend more in improving
infrastructure like public services and transportation systems; enhancing the educational
system comprises elementary, higher and tertiary levels; expanding medical services and
controlling pollution. Furthermore, standard of living also includes aspects of living that cannot
be bought or directly controlled by an individual, for instance, political and social environment,
and natural environment. Each of the aforementioned element forms an integral part of high
standard of living. Should all elements work together in harmony, the results can be enhanced in
multifold.
A successful city must embrace a good quality of life. Quality of life in a city takes into account
not only the material standard of living, but other intangible aspects that make up human life
which are freedom and human rights.
What is the future city
Our future is an unknown but future city can be planned.
The future city should focus on the needs of the people, the facilities, infrastructures,
and how it will sustain itself in the future. Future city will focus on new technologies to
make people’s lives better and comfortable.
To plan for the future we should refer to the past. Great cities such as Jericho, Rome,
and Babylon, these cities led mankind to new heights of culture and commerce, though
in the end some of them were destroyed. We should learn from history to achieve a
better future city.
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Characteristics of future city
 A stage reached in the development of infrastructure
 A strategy for creating a competitive environment
 An approach to inclusive and sustainable cities
3. Investigation & Data Collection:
Ancient Cities
Derinkuyu underground city
The Derinkuyu underground city is located in the same named town Derinkuyu, which is
situated 40km from Goreme (30 minute drive). There are about 600 outside doors to
the city, hidden in the courtyards of surface dwellings. The underground city is
approximately 85m deep. It contains all the usual rooms found in an underground city
(stables, cellars, storage rooms, refectories, churches, wineries etc.) Apart from
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these, a large room with a barrel vaulted ceiling on the second floor was a missionary
school, the rooms to the left being study rooms.
From the 3rd and 4th floors onwards the descent is by way of vertical staircases which
lead to a cruciform plan church on the lowest floor. The 55m deep ventilation shaft was
also used as a well. Not every floor was provided with water wells up to the surface in
order to protect the dwellers from poisoning during raids. Derinkuyu contains at least
15,000 ventilation ducts that provide fresh air deep within the underground city. The
Derinkuyu Underground City was opened to visitors in 1965 but so far less than half of
it can be visited.
It is unlikely that the underground cities were ever intended for permanent dwelling, or
even long stays, but they were clearly built to withstand attack and could support large
numbers of people and their domestic animals, for extended periods of time. The urban
organization was very complex, and there was probably always work in progress.
The extensive networks of passages, tunnels, stepped pits and inclined corridors link
family rooms and communal spaces where people would meet, work and worship. The
cities were complete with wells, chimneys for air circulation, niches for oil lamps,
stores, water tanks, stables and areas where the dead could be placed until such time
as conditions on the surface would allow their proper disposal. Most importantly,
carefully balanced moving stone doors, resembling mill stones, were devised to quickly
block the corridors in the event of an attack. Of course, these doors operated from
one side only!
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In conclusion, Derinkuyu Underground city is an outstanding example of what man can
achieve in order to protect the lives of themselves, friends and family.
The main thing I learnt from Derinkuyu underground city is the uses of large
ventilation shafts. This is quite an important element because it is used to provide
underground air ventilation.
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Present Cities
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is recognized as one of the most environmentally friendly cities in the
world. The municipal policy is to reduce CO2 emissions by 20% before the end of 2015.
In 2001 a large offshore wind farm was built just off the coast of Copenhagen
at Middelgrunden. It produces about 4% of the city's energy. Years of substantial
investment in sewage treatment have improved water quality in the harbour to an
extent that the inner harbour can be used for swimming with facilities at a number of
locations.
Carbon Neutral by 2025
Copenhagen intends to be carbon-neutral by 2025. In terms of Energy Performance, an
estimated 75% of the CO2 reductions will come from initiatives in relation to the
city’s energy system mainly involving an increase in the share of renewable energy in
the City’sdistrict heating.
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The 1.7 million people living in Copenhagen are known for eschewing cars for bikes or
the metro system, but green transportation is only part of the city's eco-friendly
urban plan. In 2006, Copenhagen won the European Environmental Award for its clean
waterways and leadership in environmental planning.
In conclusion, Copenhagen urban green solutions are already being implemented on a
large scale and used by everyday people. These solutions have had significant effects
on CO2 emission and the city's livability.
What inspired me the most in Copenhagen is using bikes as the primary mode of
transportation. Cycling is generally perceived as a healthier, environmentally friendly,
cheaper and often quicker way around town than by public transport or car .
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Future Cities
Water Re-balance , Shanghai
This project begins with the premise that Shanghai’s distribution of water resources
is out of balance. The first problem is a lack of groundwater; according to the
designers of the Water Re-balance tower, the people of Shanghai, in the quest for
clean water, have taken so much water from under the city since 1860 that the city
itself has sunk 1.7 meters in the past 40 years. Additionally, the water supplies that
do exist today are largely polluted. Despite that shortage, the city does experience
flooding in monsoon season, and the Suzhou River’s level can sometimes reach to the
city’s streets.
By building towers that can collect and purify rainwater and also purify the water
from the river, several advantageous things occur: clean, drinkable water is readily
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available for the city; rising river levels are mitigated before flooding occurs; and
clean water can also be pumped back under ground to fix the sinking subsidence
problem the city is experiencing. Further, the tower collects organic matter as it
filters the water and uses that waste to develop and feed farmland, wetlands, and to
grow green algae. The farm and wetlands purify the air, and the algae is cultivated
and processed within the tower by a generator to create energy.
In conclusion, water-rebalance is an awesome concept for the future of Shanghai city
since clean water is significant for city people to carry out activities in daily lives.
Water purifying project will be implemented in my future city proposal to produce
clean and healthy water for the citizens.
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6. Case study on the selected type
of the future city
I gained my information about underground city through my research and exploration
on some related websites.
An underground city is a series of linked subterranean spaces that may provide a
defensive refuge; a place for living, working or shopping; a transit system; mausolea;
wine or storage cellars; cisterns or drainage channels; or several of these. The term
may also refer to a network of tunnels that connects buildings beneath street level
which may house office blocks, shopping malls, metro stations, theatres, and other
attractions. These passages can usually be accessed through the public space of any of
the buildings connecting to them, and sometimes have separate entries as well. This
latter definition encompasses many modern structures, while the former more
generally covers tunnel systems from ancient times to the present day.
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Underground cities are especially functional in cities with very cold or hot climates, as
they permit activities to be comfortably accessible year round without regard to the
weather. Underground cities are similar in nature to skyway systems and may include
some buildings linked by skyways or above-ground corridors rather than underground.
In short,
Why underground city?
  Resistance to severe weather
 shelter people from scorching heat wave and deadly ultraviolet rays caused by
the thinning of ozone layer and global warming.
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7. The Gold Zone
The reasons of living underground as what I mentioned above, resistance to severe
weather, shelter people from scorching heat wave and deadly ultraviolet rays caused by
the thinning of ozone layer and global warming.
Why “The Gold Zone”?
This underground place was a gold mining place before the city is built and the city will
be surrounded by gold after completed.
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Aim of the city
To provide a safe, sustainable and eco-friendly environment for citizens of the city to
live lifelong.
Shape of the city Hexagon
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Size of the city Approximately 40km²
Population Approximately 200,000
Number of region Five
Citizens in the city Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazan, Iban and etc
Religion of the citizens Muslim, Buddha, Hindu, Christian and etc
The Gold Zone will provide
• Walkability and efficient public transportation
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• Large indoor places for agriculture plantation like vegetables and fruits to
produce various type of food.
• Water purifying system produces clean water for daily purposes.
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The Gold Zone
21

Zonning
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Government area and city
development area are
situated at the top region
to carry out management
of the city, research and
invention of new
technologies.
Since residential area is
located in region 3,
educational area and
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religious area will be built
in region 2 to minimize the
distance from residential
area.
Residential area
surrounded with
recreational area
for residents to
relax and carry out
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activities.
Commercial areas and
hospital situated in
region 4 so that
residents can buy
anything they need
and go to hospital when
they are sick in a
shorter time.
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Waste management area,
industrial area and
agriculture area located
in lowest region for
wastes disposal,
industrial works and
farming plantation.
Perspective
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27

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Transportation
• Canal highway (Main transport
to connect between each
region)
• LRT ( in every region)
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• Bikes
• Lift
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• Escalator
Sustainable
Approaches to make it
a better city
• Well developed organic
food network. All the food come
from organic sources.
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• Wastes are disposed in
non-polluted way.
• Renewable energy is
used such as
-biomass
-hydropower
-geothermal
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• “Green walk’’ concept and public space exist in every region to build a
green city.
8. Conclusion
From this project, I understand what is called a ‘’future city’’.
A great future city is not merely a beautiful and cool city in
appearance. Instead, it should have proper management, functions
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and provides all citizen’s needs. A great future city must also include
sustainable approaches to make it better.
Moreover, I also realized that how important is to plan and
manage my time to complete a task given. As a student, we must have
proper time management for every assignments so that we can
efficiently finish each homework on time.
Finally, I would like to thank my lecturer who gave me a lot of
useful advices that really helps in my planning of future city. This
project was really a great experience overall.
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9. Reference Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City
http://www.urbandesign.org/elements.html
http://www.studymode.com/essays/What-Makes-a-Successful-City-39972136.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underground_living
http://www.goreme.com/derinkuyu-underground-city.php
http://www.mydestination.com/cappadocia/travel-articles/72591/derinkuyu-
underground-city#
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copenhagen
http://www.evolo.us/competition/water-re-balance-skyscraper-collects-and-purifies-
rainwater/
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ENBE X-city report - The Gold Zone

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ENBE X-city report - The Gold Zone