Abstract
In the last 5 years, prominent large-scale “eco-city” development proposals have emerged around the globe. The term has been increasingly applied to a number of different projects that embrace a broad array of ideological and ecological goals. We outline the ideologies embedded in contemporary eco-city development through a case-study approach, focusing on two high-profile eco-cities. The two eco-city proposals we examine include one located in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates called Masdar and another one in Shanghai, China known as Dongtan. We ask the question: are “eco-cities” really about “ecological cities”? We argue that this new iteration of eco-city development is based on an ideological world-view akin to green, state-sponsored capitalism, and ultimately, “eco-cities” are less about “ecological cities” than about enacting and supporting pro-capitalist ideologies, albeit with a green veneer. We argue that these eco-cities present a new process of the consumption of nature.
Keywords
- Ecosystem Service
- Natural Capital
- Ecological Modernization
- Concentrate Solar Power
- Concentrate Solar Power Plant
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Sze, J., Gambirazzio, G. (2013). Eco-Cities Without Ecology: Constructing Ideologies, Valuing Nature. In: Pickett, S., Cadenasso, M., McGrath, B. (eds) Resilience in Ecology and Urban Design. Future City, vol 3. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5341-9_14
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