First smart biomimetic city to be built in Nigeria

2014 will mark the centenary of Nigeria's independence. The Nigerian government decided to mark the centenary year - not only with celebrations and events, but by initiating an innovative project "that will leave a legacy for future generations and the next hundred years, and change the world's perception of how a city should look" - city planning according to the principles of biomimicry.

By: Maya Givon

In 2009, the United Nations announced for the first time that most people live in an urban environment. According to forecasts, this trend is expected to increase in the coming decades. We are drawn to cities not only out of necessity for livelihood, but also because cities enable innovation, as well as scientific, technological and cultural breakthroughs - By meeting a variety of people and creating space for opportunities, for years cities have been (often rightly) considered sources of pollution and disease, a source of epidemics and environmental problems. However, with proper urban planning, the consumption of resources is lower than that of those who live in a rural area. For this reason, the perception has changed, and today the saying "loves urban infrastructure" is heard here and there. Different from seclusion in natural areas, enabling a more sustainable and environmental lifestyle.

2014 will mark the centenary of Nigeria's independence. The Nigerian government decided to mark the centenary year - not only with celebrations and events, but by initiating an innovative project "that will leave a legacy for future generations and the next hundred years, and change the world's perception of how a city should look" - city planning according to the principles of biomimicry.

According to the publications, the city will be built in close proximity to the capital Abuja and will be a "smart city", with the most advanced environmental technologies. Its planners will use nature as a role model, as a mentor, and as a measure of success. The city, which will be built as a city within a city, is supposed to provide housing for only about one hundred thousand people, and serve mainly as a center of culture and tourism. In an image-intensive video produced by the entrepreneurs, some of the guiding principles for planning the ambitious project are mentioned:

• - "Urban metabolism" planning, according to which raw materials are used optimally and circularly within the city limits, in order to prevent the accumulation of waste.
• - The city's neighborhoods should be planned as cells, which are at the same time independent but interdependent - when the city expands, each neighborhood will be able to do so independently while supporting the residents with the necessary infrastructure.
• - Green belts will function both for local agricultural production and for the preservation of biological diversity.
• - Water will be respected as the most valuable resource for living systems, will be collected by the municipal infrastructure, purified and used cyclically.
• - Mass transportation arteries will function as supply systems for neighborhoods (as blood vessels for body parts), with a high priority for non-motorized transportation. Public transportation will be the main means of motorized transportation, using advanced technologies to reduce air pollution.
• - Encouraging cultural and ethnic diversity.
• It is not yet clear what is behind the beautiful words and the intriguing descriptions, alongside the blessed idea. Undoubtedly, given the severity of the environmental crisis we are in and its scope, we must aim as high as possible in the planning of our new cities.