# A New Clean-Slate City; a Dubai of the South



## luv2bebrown (Nov 4, 2004)

clean slate cities wouldnt have worked hundreds of years ago.
they might not work today
but they can certainly work 30+ years from.

because of globalization, all a clean slate city has to do is produce a globally needed product more cheaply and efficiently than anywhere else in the world and it has an exportable product that can provide it with growth potential.

one thing im not convinced about is that a clean slate city CANT be completely self sufficient WHILE offering the level of services/products we expect in the modern age. and since virtually all the products we humans use harm the environment in one way or another, a clean slate city today would basically still be outsourcing a lot of things it needs that harms the environment.

PAPER for example. a clean slate city today would still require paper. that requirement requires trees in another country being cut down.

STEEL - a clean slate city would need steel and we currently burn coal to get steel. the clean slate city, while not burning coal in its own territory to get steel, would be outsourcing the requirement, and the burning of the coal in another country should still be considered part of the clean slate city's Carbon footprint. i dont think such a city could plant enough trees to offset such carbon emissions especially if its located in desert.


overall clean slate cities are great ideas for creating sustainable human habit, but i dont think at this point we can realistically envision clean slate cities with 0 carbon emissions/effect on the environment. wherever humans go with modern day requirements, the earth will be harmed.


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## cle (Jul 6, 2007)

FM 2258 said:


> Isn't Dubai an old city? People settled there for a reason and that's why it can grow. I'm not sure if a city that was started from a clean slate today would be that fun to live in. As far as I know Dubai wasn't built on a clean slate.


Think they've sidelined/bulldozed most of the older parts, there are some bazaars left but pitiful compared to some other Arabi countries - certainly you wouldn't go there for that over other places like Oman, Jordan or Syria.

And yep, batty crease is exactly what you think it is!


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