Amazon to shutter virtual health care service Amazon Care

Dubai-based developer URB has revealed its designs for XZero City, a sustainable community in Kuwait that aims to provide 100,000 residents with a net-zero-carbon lifestyle.

The company said that the 1,600-hectare development, in the country’s southern region, will include 30,000 homes and create 30,000 environmentally friendly jobs in sectors such as medicine, tourism, technology, education, retail and entertainment.

Hospitality assets designed to promote sustainable tourism include a five-star eco resort and eco lodges. There are also plans for a nature-conservation center, a utility park, an autism village, an equestrian center, a wellness center, a nursery and a school.

URB, which describes itself as “a global leader in developing sustainable cities,” said that XZero has been designed to provide multifunctional, holistic solutions that address the three key pillars of sustainability: social, economic and environmental. The plans were created using passive design strategies and eco-friendly infrastructure that minimizes the required financial investment while maximizing environmental benefits, it added.

URB CEO Baharash Bagherian has overseen the design of several sustainable cities, including recently launched projects such as AlNama in Riyadh and Nexgen in Cairo.

Highlighting the significance of XZero in setting a benchmark for future cities, he said: “The heart of this project is the unique, resilient landscape, which is multifunctional and designed to promote health, well-being and biodiversity.

“The landscape is the social glue to the entire city, which will promote a vibrant neighborhood while connecting residents to all amenities within minutes.”

URB said XZero is designed and optimized to be the most walkable city on earth and that primary and secondary pedestrian routes will be well-shaded and connect with green transport options such as cycle paths and electric buggies.

“The landscape is integrated with wadis to enhance resilience and livability while also promoting variation of habitats for wildlife,” Bagherian added.

“The landscape is also productive, incorporating many different urban farming methods, such as community gardens, bio domes, aquaponics, vertical farms and biosaline agriculture.”

XZero’s density has also been optimized to maximize the ratio of green space, URB said, which will help to mitigate the effects of rising temperatures and urban heat islands, resulting in a cooler environment.