I'm not moving to Chengdu just for that. But if they did this here in the US? I'd be on the phone to U-Haul in about three minutes flat. And I wouldn't be lonely for long, because plenty of my friends would head there too!

And why can't this supposedly self sustaining city have things like a "Japanese stationery stores and Middle Eastern grocery stores, Indian ice cream shops, amazing corner stores, museums both grand and quirky, ancient mysterious shops where I'm not entirely sure what — if anything — is for sale, parklets, street art, weird architectural juxtapositions, and thrift stores galore." There doesn't seem to be anything in there that contradicts the self sustaining aspect...

In the UK, Brighton ticks all those design AND personality boxes. A city where you can walk everywhere, with the sea on one side and the countryside on the other. Plus it has the most environmentally friendly population in the UK, as well as the only Green party controlled local government. And it's full of interesting, quirky people and places - it's often called the British San Francisco. (Can you tell I'm moving there soon?)

CanadianMango...wow.

@CanadianMango if everything is within walking distance, that shouldn't be a problem. I don't have a car and still manage to get my two cats to the vet...

It would take some time to get used to a city with no cars. But I like that they're thinking outside the box when trying to address population growth and environmental impacts.

One thing I know I wouldn't like (and it has nothing to do with the eco-friendliness of the place) is living somewhere that is all brand-new. I love being around old buildings, architecture from different time periods, etc. Even if effort was made to vary the appearance of buildings, it would be hard to achieve the city "feel" that so many of us like.

Only if it came without lousy neighbors. Can you get me a great job in a city where people don't stomp on the floor above other people's heads, crank up the volume on their stereos/earpieces/phones/TVs, blow smoke in each other's faces, spit at each other's feet, urinate in random places, throw elbows at each other trying to get past, and occasionally even utter the words, "Excuse me"? I would live there in a heartbeat.

(The grammar above is faulty, but the sentiment is real.)

These statemenets seem incongruous:

"Everything within walkable distance, no cars"
and
"access to mass transit"

Are we talking about mass transit to leave the city and go elsewhere (airport, bus depot, rental car counter)?

And let's face it: any city where everything is in walkable distance is either not a large city or requires an in-city public transportation system. Whether that's rails or buses, it's still consuming energy. Of course, I think it's much more eco friendly for people to walk, bike, or take mass transit rather than drive, but a public transportation system would have to be very big to accommodate a city of people, particularly if that city was in a place with harsh winters or harsh summers.

@CanadianMango - Racism is bad and you should feel bad.

@Pi - from the article: "The distance from any location in the city to any other location will be walkable within about 15 minutes, all but eliminating the need for most automobiles. The city will also be connected to Chengdu and surrounding areas via mass transit to be accessed at a regional transit hub at the Great City center."

I'd live in such a city in a heartbeat. Sounds like heaven.

Sounds great--and I am sure that any time you have a ton of people living in close qurters--you'll eventually get plenty of local color! Though, hard to take existing cities and transform them...while keeping population and commerce going. Bath UK is a good proxy--simply because there is little room to drive around and the river allows for green space and a natural walking path to all shops and services. Boston has also made some progress with moving transport underground and leaving the surface green(er). Honolulu used to be a lot like this--but really ruined their good looks by embracing cars and sprawl in the 70s. Sigh.

ElleOh - You made me want to move to Brighton. Too bad I don't live in the UK :(

I wouldn't say categorically that a city has to be boring just because it is planned and sustainable....

Sounds wonderful but also sounds very Big Brother..

The only way this city is going to work is because it's in a communist controlled country.

Corbusier proposed a similar idea back in the 1930's but it was never implemented due to many factors that could be overridden because the Chinese control everything and will not require committee's to get things done.

I'd be curious on how well it works too...numerous architects have proposed similar ideas but they're impossible to achieve in a free-market society...they'll only get implemented in a country where no one has a say except the government.

But hey...it will be nice to see it work! A lot of architects and architect students are probably going to follow this to see how well it's implemented.

I think it's an awesome concept and in a country such as China where a history of lax environmental laws has caused it to be one of the most polluted in the world, necessary. I think it could be very successful here in the US, and the idea that a planned community can't have color is, to me, really short sighted. Almost all of our now-major cities were in "planning stages" at some point. Much of that "local color" comes from a history of racial segregation as well. I think it would be interesting to see a city develop and grow over time through positive changes and forces instead of the way many already have, which was through class and racial struggle.

@Pi Walkable does't just mean that you can get from one end of the city to the other in a short amount of time on foot. It can also mean that the streets are walker friendly. NYC for example is a walkable city, lots of wide sidewalks and timely crosswalk light. Buildings are also close together. LA on the other hand has stretches of space between buildings, a lack of well maintained sidewalks and it's often difficult to cross the road. You can have a walkable city that still has use for a monorail to get from one end to the other and public transportation is great when you have a lot to carry from Point A to Point B.

I have mixed feelings about this ... also "sustainable" has become somewhat corrupted these days. In the strictest sense of the word, it means totally self-renewing. I don't think any city could be totally self-renewing in that it will always require the input of resources of some type from outside of its boundary- food, water, energy, raw materials for construction and manufacturing, etc. It's a nice idea, however, I don't think we will see a truly "sustainable" city in our lifetimes. I am not sure I would live there, anyway (I certainly would not move to China to live in the city featured here). I don't want to live in an apartment building with dozens/hundreds of other people (I did that in my youth and I've grown up since then).

@ Rosaak: You took the words out of my mouth.

You know those shiny silver cities a midst a sea of green you see in futuristic sci-fi films? That's what this reminds me of. No cars? PLEASE!!! They are a necessary evil and if I could live in a city where they were UNnecessary I would. Everything new and shiny and ready to make a fresh start to make the EARTH a better place? PLEASE!! You can't really stop progress--buildings will be built and people are going to live their their normal lives, but we have the opportunity to do so and have less harmful impact on our lovely planet, then yes please. I think the people who would live there would be people wanting to live there, so everyone would have that idea in common. And I don't see how Big Brother would be an issue. Did the article say there were cameras everywhere?? A city can be beautiful without so much history. People can make it beautiful.

I love the idea...but ultimately I hate people and need to be as far away from them as possible. I could never live in a city, even if it was eco-friendly.

Yes! Without even reading the article!

@TinaO - I know what "walkable" can refer to, but for the purposes of this article, we're not talking about sidewalks and grid patterns. The planners actually mean, literally, 15 minute walk from Point A to Point B.

If this was in the US, I would absolutely LOVE to live there!

I'd live here in a second. Unfortunately, my young life is in my current city and can't imagine parting from it... not at this moment, anyway. The whole speaking Mandarin/Cantonese is a turn-off, too. But I digress, this is a fantastic idea and I truly hope it succeeds in a way that can be re-created. I can't think of any major trade-offs, other than needing to commute rather far to have access to a car/plane to travel or to visit other outdoor areas.

The ancient Romans did something similar: they planned every city to be a single square mile. The surrounding farms fed the city dwellers, and even those living in the center only had a half-mile walk to get to the countryside.

The thing is, London was one of those cities. Now it's massive. Cities grow and change, and even the best laid urban plans will fall by the wayside if the residents' needs change.

I wouldn't want to live in China.

Can you imagine if someone wanted to construct a city like this in the United States? It would take 10 years to get the necessary approval and would take 20 years for it to be constructed.

You asked for a city where cars are not necessary - I give you Copenhagen. It's not like we don't have them but so far I'm 32 and I can't drive a car. I get around by bike or public transport. Oh and the city is roughly 1200 years old.

Oh hell yes, if this was in the US I would move there in an instant. I didn't even have to read the article. The title alone sold me.

I currently live in Rochester, NY and get along just fine without a car.

I was about to comment with the same exact thing. While on the train yesterday I also discovered that Copenhagen is actually building several green neighborhoods (or "boroughs" seems more appropriate) that are 100% green, even more modern and still amidst all the culture that Copenhagen has to offer. Estimated turn over is in 2025 or so, though. But it's still pretty green

"But there are Japanese stationery stores and Middle Eastern grocery stores, Indian ice cream shops, amazing corner stores"

There are those stores where I live too, but they are not in the city, they are in the suburbs, and me being in the city, I would need to expend energy to get to them. (They USED to be in the city.)

The problem with cities can often be the price of real estate. Low real estate prices often keep it real and interesting. Once the rent sky rockets, there goes good food, funk and all that fun stuff. That's just the experience where I live, though.

"So is it possible for a brand-new city to have personality as well as sustainability?"

I don't get this. Why create a 'brand new city?' Isn't that right then and there kind of going against what you are talking about? If you wanna talk utopia, then do it by just phasing out cars in the (unknown) city where you already are.

OK here's an experiment for you.

1. Go outside (yes, I know it's outside), and walk in any direction for 15 min.

2. Quadruple this distance. This is a rough radius of these Ideal cities.

3. Compare. To the size of the city you currently live in or want to live in. To the current distances you travel to do things; Work, Shopping, Entertainment, Friends.

How does it stack up?

No, but if Christopher Alexander ever designed a city I would live there.

I'm surprised at the short-sightedness of this article and all of the comments. I live in a city that has all of these qualities, plus every single positive quality mentioned in the comments: Amsterdam, NL.

It is completely possible and achievable, and it was built by the people, not by a totalitarian regime. You can get started now: ride a bike, use less energy, create less waste, but most of all: get involved in your community and promote the kinds of changes that you want to see. That's how great cities are built.

Mike Holmes has been working on a sustainable community for a while now in Canada.
not as large as the pic shown above, but still, it is a step in the same direction. if it was close to where i live i would be so totally interested.

http://holmeshomes.ca/windwalk.php

I can answer you question...I live in Chengdu. Simply because this city is in China.

Also, I am not sure that high rises are the best way to work or live. Who wants to take an elevator 67 flights up to their home? I don't even get it for work, but it's just that it's "less bad." Spiritually to live this way is ... depleting. Practically too - I don't get it. I am not against density at all. I live in the densest part of the city. But there are such things as villages.

If this were in the US, yes! As long as there were some good jobs (however my boyfriend would be out a job considering he's a mechanic and loves it). I think it could definitely have character and be sustainable. There are so many ways to do that. Goodness, this would be amazing to live in!

When I look at a foto of an "ideal futuristic sustainable city" like this first I think: "I bet those who live on the outskirts with the limitless views of green grass & blue sky pay a heck of a lot more in rent & real estate than those crammed in the center core with vistas of the other high rise buildings outside their windows!" Next I think "Creepy Stepford Utopia" where everyone is adhered to a collective "we are all one, us against the rest of the world" view of themselves. This is the city version of "Segre-Gated Communities". I agree with the above posters who mentioned lack of old architecture & long term built in cultural diversity. But more important, what would be the criteria for being "allowed" to live here? Income level? How many reusable bags you bring to the grocery each week? Non-smoker, non-drinker? No children? Or only well-behaved "Village of the Damned"-style perfect little drones? No pets? Vegetarians only? Where is the community collective farm? Is everyone required to work there during planting & harvest time? If one is an undocumented Mexican should he forget about living, working, raising his kids, & paying taxes here? Oh, well, he can BUILD it for minimum wage & no workers comp insurance. But after the last green beam is in place & the last ditch is dug he better get on back to Mexico where he belongs! Elderly housing? Section 8? Where are the food stamp & child support collection offices located? Will there be a sustainable living wage? Is there a need for a police force or will it just be Storm Troopers with Tasors making sure no one unthinkingly drops a gum wrapper on the ground? Ok,.. this is just NOT a city for real people with real lives. I couldn't live there. I need my daily fix of buying my newspaper off the homeless guy on the corner, the Navajos selling their hand crafted wares on the sidewalks, the buskers belting out tunes whether in tune or not, that crazy bag lady wearing the shower cap & 2 different slippers- I'd miss her toothless smile & morning greeting. There just isn't enough color in cities such as pictured above. C'mon. If you don't see some guy peeing in an alley on your way to work, or a woman carrying a car door under her arm, or get almost knocked over by some kids whizzing by on skateboards (and admit it, you are sooo jealous that you can't do that anymore) what will you have to talk about with your co-workers around the Brita water cooler in the office cafeteria?! Each one of us has the ability to make a change for the better where ever we are, starting right now! Every race & culture throughout history recognizes that they've breached the limit & they had better move on to find bigger, better, healthier digs- rather than admit their screw ups & take responsibility for cleaning up their act & their mess. No, they're rather kick dirt over that crap & move on, searching for another piece of an ever smaller planet to pollute & dominate! It would be only a matter of time before this "sustainable living city" would succumb to the chaos of those on the outside trying to get in while those on the inside try to keep them out. Oh, except the governing body's families, & the rich will surely have their say in who gets in. Meanwhile, the engineers will be slamming their fists on the desks shouting: "Damn it! You must listen to reason! The levy is going to break! And no one will get in or out alive!" Their own collective strife will be eating the population from within. And grandma is praying that the Storm Troopers don't discover the fact that she's been hiding her white Persian kitty in her apartment for five years... Because remember- we're talking about a city inhabited by humans. And humans have the worst reputation on the planet.

It's Logan's Run without the bubble, isn't it?

Even after centuries of living on this earth, people have yet to be courteous when being courteous is the action to take. In all but 2 cases in my life, at least one neighbor has behaved rather badly--not just to me, but to other tenants, as well. Am I to expect a complete reversal of the direction humankind have traveled these many, many years?

I drive an economy car, refuse to litter, and waste not, so I'm already doing my part to "save the world".

The entirety of the place would need heavy police protection. There would be little freedom in parks, on streets, or anywhere else. Wouldn't be long before the police would become the biggest worry.

In China...you mean that country that has the government controlling speech and internet access? Nope. Plus I'm not a Party member, so I don't think I'd qualify for any of the penthouses:)

I got the impression that the author was referring to a hypothetical city in the paragraph I've quoted. And in that context, my comment was intended to bring out the point that being a self sustaining and sustainable city does not necessarily imply that the same city needs to be boring and steely and rigid and soul-less.
Now to come to the specific city - Chengdu, lacking personality- that is not because its self sustaining, its a lot of other reasons, particularly as you've pointed out, the fact that it is in China. ..
So don't equate self sustaining, clean, green and planned with soulless and personality-less.. that's all.