Image source: BusinessWeek.com
With Beijing getting all spic and span for the 2008 Olympic Games, a host of ideas are being considered for the Olympic Forest Park, a multimillion-dollar, 680-hectare green space planned for the northern portion of the city. Besides serving as the venue for Tennis, Archery, and Hockey, the area will also include a massive man-made mountain and a lake in the shape of a dragon. Since Beijing is not the type of city where deep breaths are naturally good for you, China is hoping this engineering feat will create a "green lung" for the growing metropolis.
Some of the ideas being considered include Grasscrete. As the name suggests, the concept embraces a harmonious relationship with grass and concrete to create footpaths through the area. The concrete is made from recycled materials while the grass allows for sustainable drainage and a natural filtration system. Also part of Olympic Forest Park will be porous concrete, which allows water to percolate through instead of running off. This allows the ground to stay moist and require less watering for surrounding areas.
All of these efforts will enable the forest to collect and recycle almost 95% of the rainwater that falls. Amphitheatres and sports facilities will be designed so as not to pollute or overwhelm the sounds of nature. In addition to the tens of thousands of trees and bushes to be planted, wind channels will also be created and rocks specially situated to acoustically maximize the forest ambience. China is hoping this Olympic feat — due to be completed by the end of this year — will be a model for other cities to embrace. Imagine if this was required for every host urban area to implement?
Check out CNET's tour of the latest green products on display at this year's China Beijing International High Tech Expo. We hope to update you with more on Beijing's massive new green addition as the finishing touches are put in place.