The city of the future

Iskandar Malaysia will be totally green and model for all south-east Asian cities 

An eco-friendly, ultra-modern city the size of Luxembourg, housing 3 million people and powered completely by green energy – that is the vision of Iskandar Malaysia. 

A map of the proposed eco-city of Iskandar Malaysia

(Source - The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/nov/02/iskandar-malaysia-green-megacity?intcmp=122 )

Across the strait of Johor, opposite Singapore, is the site for this ‘smart metropolis’ that developers hope will be template for all new cities across all of Malaysia and south-east Asia. This new city will be home to over 3 million people by 2025 and will be powered by renewable energy, will have publically provided transport and will recycle all of its waste. The city will also have green spaces to encourage social integration and improve resident’s mental well-being. Skyscrapers will share the skyline with low-rise buildings and self-contained ‘neighbourhoods’. 

This vision, described by Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak as a ‘smart city template’, came about as a solution to the predicted city population growth in the region. In 2007, the world’s urban population overtook the rural population for the first time, and by 2050 the planet’s population will increase from 7bn to around 9bn, with the majority of people in south-east Asia living in major cities.

Eco-city projects have been planned in the past, in countries ranging from China to the US, and have collapsed, but with over $30bn promised to the development of the city (a third of which has come from outside the country), Iskandar Malaysia is hoping to truly become the city of the future.