The creation of a sustainable city in the Tianjin Binhai New Area of China will provide a socially and economically harmonious, energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly home to around 350,000 people. The ¥150 billion (US$22 billion), 34km2 Tianjin Eco-City will serve as a thriving model of sustainable development and green innovation for eco cities around the developing world. It will be constructed between 2010 and 2020 as part of a collaborative agreement between the governments of China and Singapore. The city’s site is situated on non-arable land approximately 150km from Beijing, 40km from the Tianjin city centre and 10km from the core district of the Tianjin Binhai New Area. We have been appointed by Sino Singapore Tianjin Eco City Administrative Committee and Global Environment Facility (GEF) to provide technical assistance in the development of a sustainability strategy for the city. This will encompass all green building, green transport network and industrial and commercial plans. The strategy will be underpinned by education options and stakeholder engagement to encourage low energy living. Our teams will also lead the design of two demonstration projects – a 20,000m2 school and a 600-apartment residential complex. Both of these will have to demonstrate a 65% saving in annual energy compared with the previous national standard benchmark. Mott MacDonald will be working with local design teams on the demonstration projects to determine which sustainable design features and improvements can be adopted, along with their relative cost, to define the final, cost-effective designs. Key features of the eco-city will include: Innovative public transport and pedestrian-oriented urban design to limit the use of private motorised transport (to less than 10% of journeys) Building developments that meet green building standards A wetland to provide natural treatment for recycled wastewater Organic waste usage to produce heat and power, with 60% of the city’s waste being recycled Power and water consumption management combined with clean and renewable electricity generation to limit carbon emissions Job generation for at least 50% of employable residents to minimise commuting One of the primary factors in the development of Tianjin Eco-City will involve introducing leading-edge sustainable solutions that address the many challenges of high density urban living. China’s huge population and rapid growth require inventive as well as sensitive approaches to urban building design. The establishment of the eco-centre will explore how to demonstrate lower carbon emissions in the life of a brand new city.