By Jane Han
Staff Reporter
Built on mudflats along the Yellow Sea at Incheon, the $35 billion New Songdo City, the largest private real estate venture in history, is awe-inspiring for its size alone. But what's more amazing is that the entire city, as big as Boston, will be constructed on green technology.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a non-profit group promoting sustainable building practice, has named the 1,500-acre development 35 miles southwest of Seoul a LEED-ND pilot program.
LEED-ND stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Neighborhood Development, and it is a green buildings rating and certification system. The New Songdo City is one of only three LEED-ND projects in Asia. Two smaller scale projects are in China.
Being LEED-certified is meaningful because it is a globally recognized and accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. It sets standards for energy efficiency, sparing water use and other healthful and nonpolluting features.
``LEED-ND is about more than green buildings ― it's about enhancing and protecting the overall health, natural environment and quality of life of a community,'' said Stanley Gale, Chairman and managing partner of Gale International, a U.S. developer helping to build Songdo.
The New York-based firm has a 70/30 joint venture with POSCO Engineering & Construction, a subsidiary of Korean steel giant POSCO. Construction began in 2004, with a completion date of 2014.
The Songdo International Business District (IBD), which is the main crux of the New City, will play a pioneering role in helping to set this standard for sustainable urban planning and smart growth based on criteria including density, proximity to transit, environmental preservation, mixed housing type and pedestrian-friendly design.
So what will this eco-friendly urban city house?
The business district will include 50 million square feet of office space, 30 million square feet of residential space, 10 million square feet of retail area, 5 million square feet of hotel space and 10 million square feet of public space.
Developers say, ``every conceivable cultural and recreational amenity'' will be available, including a world-class hospital, an international preparatory school, a central park, an art museum and a Jack Nicklaus golf course. All of which will be home to 65,000 residents and 300,000 commuters.
One of the highlights in the urban core will be the Convensia Convention Center, the nation's largest column-free space and designed as a series of structures that look like overturned ship hulls. Completed in August, this is the only finished structure.
For 2009, the new facility already has 29 conventions and exhibitions booked, including the Asia Pacific Cities Summit 2009.
Skyscrapers like the Northeast Asia Trade Tower (NEATT) and 1st World Towers are the city's signature buildings, slated for completion in 2008 and 2010, respectively. Representing the IBD's dedication to nature is a giant 100-acre park modeled after Central Park in Manhattan.
Developers say unlike the country's existing car-focused urban pattern, Songdo will be built to be ``walkable.'' Jitneys to the airport that's 20 minutes away, bus services, three stops on Seoul's subway line and water taxis will allow residents to enjoy accessibility without driving.
Plus, a complex water processing system will collect methane from black water and use it in power plants. A pneumatic trash collection system will improve water-processing efficiency and all building designs will incorporate sustainable features, including natural ventilation and day lighting.
``We believe LEED-ND will set the standard, both in the U.S. and internationally, for sustainable neighborhoods and cities for decades to come,'' said John Hynes, III, CEO and Managing Partner of Gale International, when Songdo was named as USGBC's pilot project last year.
Although the city plays up its green factor, Songdo by no means falls behind in IT. The city has been designed as a so-called ubiquitous city, with wireless networks and radio-frequency identification linking all major information systems.
Residents will be able to carry smart phones used to pay their bills, open doors and access personal information. They will also even be able to estimate their commute time before leaving home.
All of these cutting-edge technologies have been garnering worldwide attention, and planners say Songdo is now starting to see more interest from potential resident companies hoping to get in on the action.
jhan@koreatimes.co.kr
 An exterior view of Songdo Convensia Convention Center, top and bottom, and a blueprint of the 100-acre Central Park to be built in Songdo New City by 2009 / Courtesy of Gale |
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