A city that grows just like a lily floating on the water. A city of the equatorial region where sunlight is plentiful and the impact of typhoons is minimal. A carbon-negative city that absorbs CO2 like a plant.
Fantasy? Perhaps.
But it's one of several concepts put forward by Japan's Shimizu Corporation on the principle that "happiness should be measured separately from material wealth."
The company, a 200-year-old construction and civil engineering firm, is devoted to far more than the bottom line. Its founder embraced the idea that businesses can contribute to society by incorporating a balance between ethics and economics -- earning a fair profit and growing at a manageable pace.
Today, it's putting forth visionary ideas for projects that embody these values. The floating city is one. They also imagine:
-- A networks of lakes and canals bringing life to desert regions.
-- A Luna Ring clean-energy project to meet all our power needs on Earth.
-- New designs for urban communities that would be sustainable for more than a century.
Heady stuff. But we need big dreams if we're going to reshape the world for a sustainable future.
You can let your imagination soar as you consider the possibilities at Shimizu's Dream.
(Many thanks to GizMag for drawing my attention to Shimizu.)
great ideas but how far in the future are we talking?
Posted by: Modern Solar | September 22, 2011 at 11:44 PM
A corporation with vision and values?! Phhhh... They'll never last!
Posted by: Tony | February 17, 2011 at 08:06 PM