Dongtan is located on the third largest island at the mouth of the Yangtze River. The 8,600 hectare (86 square kilometer) site is adjacent to a wetland of global importance. The urban area will occupy just one third of the site with the remaining land retained for agriculture and used to create a buffer zone of ‘managed’ wetland between the city and the ‘natural’ wetland.

Dongtan will produce its own energy from wind, solar, bio-fuel and recycled city waste. Clean technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells will power public transport. A network of cycle and footpaths will help the city achieve close to zero vehicle emissions. Farmland within the Dongtan site will use organic farming methods to grow food.

Dongtan will be a vibrant city with green ‘corridors’ of public space ensuring a high quality of life for residents. The city is designed to attract employment across all social and economic demographics in the hope that people will choose to live and work there.

Dongtan demonstrates to the world China’s ability to work closely with the environment and has provided a methodology for sustainable communities across China and beyond.

Arup, the British engineering consultancy firm, was contracted in 2005 by the developer, Shanghai Industrial Investment Corporation (SIIC), to design and masterplan Dongtan, an eco-city on Chongming Island close to Shanghai.