Saturday, December 27, 2014

Envisioning 2030 – My Jeddah 15 Years from now

Link to post on Masdar’s Engage page:  http://masdar.ae/en/adsw/engage
Envisioning 2030 – My Jeddah 15 Years from now.
By Irfanuddin Shafi DOB: 17th Feb 1996.
It’s 17th February 2030 early morning, I am here in Jeddah. It was quite a long travel; the airport looks refreshing. The immigration has never been easier. The airport is huge and well organized. Not to forget, it is the only hub for the Pilgrims coming from all over the world. There are trains connecting the two holy cities Makkah and Madinah for easy commutation of the Pilgrims. My luggage have arrived within a few minutes, and I have JedTaxi app on my phone to request for an immediate Taxi pick up. I can't wait to explore this incredible city.
The Taxi is extremely comfortable and is equipped with latest technologies to ensure safety and hassle free travel. The roads are broader. They are smooth. The taxi has a tablet affixed, which acts as a map of the city, it's worth checking it out.
The street lamps are LEDs that emit Zero Heat! And are completely Solar and Wind Powered. And the poles are made of newer materials rather than iron or steel. It reduces Mineral usage and increases durability. And the poles are not only for Lights, they are fixed with Air Enhancers, to have a clean and fresh air to breathe. Trees planted all over adorns the beautiful city, it sure is going to be nice to see after the sun is out. The roads are well planned, with underground roads and bridges to ensure stop-less travel in many routes. The traffic lights, again Solar powered, are based on Inteli-Stop technology. They work smartly with the help of live traffic feeds, so you don’t have a red light on a free road. The ride ended quicker than I expected it to be. Now, I can pay the taxi using my app and rush to my room to get a good long sleep.
I am in my room on the 34th floor, the city looks lovely. The sea is clean and has children parks everywhere on the beach. Now it's time to get some sleep.
The sun shines bright and air gushes forth better than ever. The beach is spectacular with its blue sea. It’s time to get to work, I have my colleague waiting down to give me a ride to the office. All the self-owned vehicles are electric, he says it’s very rare to find a fossil fuel car in the city. The malls and office parking have free power outlets to charge up the batteries. And these cars even have a solar back-up. There are cars that run on Fuel Cells as well; like the Petrol Pumps a decade ago, this city has H-Pumps for these cars. It's one of the busiest cities, yet the traffic is very well managed. We hardly stopped. We reach our destination and I am dumbstruck to see a building that I haven’t even imagined in my dreams.
Buildings in Jeddah are great, so are the Masjids (mosques) around the city. This building at which my office is located is fitted LEDs that show ads at nights. It must be amazing!. This building is a green building just as others. They are powered by green energy sources. Air-conditioning is 75% pollution free and they use Heat Shield building materials for its construction.
I found that the houses are Eco-friendly too! They use electric stoves and are completely solar powered. The houses are built in minimalist design, every area has its own uniqueness. And the city faces no Water shortages even at the peak of summer. The Energy and Water department ensures clean water services to every part of the city. Sewage and waste water are collected and recycled for Watering plants, Biomass and Fertilizers.
It’s night now, the lights make the city glow.  The road has special lanes for Pedestrians and Cyclists. There are small stores in every area to meet the daily requirements and beautiful parks for spending leisure time.
I see drones flying above. Oh, those are Auto pilot drones that ensures security and alerts the Civil Authorities if anything goes wrong.  Crimes are almost null in this City.
I am at the historic district; with all these developments the city never lost its Cultural Values. Its rich heritage is preserved. It seems to be a time travel to a century back. I get live feeds pushed into my phone as I walk through. All the old buildings are preserved and the city even has Knowledge Center to know more. And a huge library that has age old literature preserved alongside, all the latest books and scholarly materials.

As I go back to my hotel, pinching myself to ensure I wasn’t dreaming all this time, I realize how well is the technology used to cope with the ever increasing needs of Human beings without affecting the nature or harming the natural ecosystem. A decade ago, what I saw today was improbable. Dreams never die, one day your dreams will be a reality. 


Link to post on Masdar’s Engage page:  http://masdar.ae/en/adsw/engage

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