Red Ken builds greener London

The Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has announced plans for a new zero carbon development in London. The development, which is likely to be situated in the Thames Gateway, is intended to demonstrate that major developments can be designed to highly sustainable standards with very low carbon emissions at standard development costs.

The London Development Agency (LDA), the Mayor’s regeneration and skills body, will take the project, which stems from a proposal from Greenpeace, forward. The LDA are working with Peter Head, Director of engineering group Arup, to help design the project. Greenpeace will also be working with the London Development Agency to deliver the project, which will be up to 1000 units in size.

Head is responsible for the Dongtan eco-city in China, on which Livingstone received a presentation during his recent visit to Shanghai.

Dongtan aims to be the world's first sustainable city, with all the buildings powered by renewable energy, self-sufficient in water and food sourced from the surrounding farmland. The first phase of the city will house up to 80,000 people by 2020 and inhabitants will be encouraged to make use of the zero-carbon public transport, which will be powered entirely by renewable energy.

Livingstone said, “Global warming was created in the west, but it is increasingly to the east to which we look for a solution. Shanghai's Dongtan sustainable-city project is breathtaking in scale and ambition and if it works it will be a beacon to the world on how to achieve a low-carbon future.

“London's zero-emission development will demonstrate that we can also realise this kind of vision in Europe and that it is affordable and achievable to make all major new developments low-carbon. I am delighted that Arup's Peter Head has agreed to help kick-start this initiative. His experience from Dongtan will be a major boost to London's plans. I am once again pleased to be able to work with Greenpeace on this issue of major importance to London’s future.”