DDG-designed Zonk’izizwe Town Center selected by Climate Positive Development Program
By: Erin Robinson
BALTIMORE, June 11, 2009 — Zonk’izizwe Town Center, an urban lifestyle destination designed by Baltimore-based planning and architecture design firm Development Design Group (DDG), was recently selected by the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) as one of 16 real estate projects on six continents that will participate in the Climate Positive Development Program.
The Climate Positive Development Program was launched by President Clinton, founder of the William J. Clinton Foundation in May 2009. It has been designed to support the development of large-scale urban projects that demonstrate that cites can grow in ways that are “climate-positive”. The real estate developments participating in the program will strive to reduce the amount of on-site CO2 emissions to below zero. To achieve this, property developers will partner with local governments to implement economically viable innovations in building, generating clean energy, waste management, water management, transportation and outdoor lighting systems.
When the initial 16 projects are completed, nearly one million people will live and work in climate-positive communities.
“It is an honor to have Zonk’izizwe selected for such a progressive environmental program,” said Roy Higgs, CEO of DDG. “Zonk’izizwe’s renewable resource management, energy efficient strategies and conservation ethic sets a new standard for the future of eco-friendly South African Development.”
By combining CCI’s business and finance expertise with the technical knowledge of the USGBC, the Climate Positive Development Program will support the planning and implementation process for each real estate development and establish the standards and metrics by which the sites can measure climate positive outcomes.
Zonk’izizwe in Midrand, Gauteng, South Africa, is a 5-million-square-foot master-planned community, being developed by Old Mutual Investment Group Property Investments, encompassing residential, office and retail components. Zonk’izizwe, which means “all nations”, celebrates its African heritage with bright vibrant colors, African paving designs, pennants and graphics. A 12-story hotel and a series of mid-rise residential towers surround a manmade lake situated at the center of the project. Open promenades link the office plaza to department stores and an enclosed retail/entertainment district with a multi-screen cinema. Sustainable development and “green” architecture figure prominently into the design, which includes bio-water recycling/purification and solar power energy contributions.
Climate-positive communities will be located in Melbourne, Australia; Palhoca, Brazil; Toronto, Canada; Victoria, Canada; Ahmedabad, India; Jaipur, India; outside Panama City, Panama; Pretoria, South Africa; Johannesburg, South Africa; Seoul, South Korea; Stockholm, Sweden; London, UK ; San Francisco, USA and Destiny Florida, USA.
Click to view and download renderings of Zonk’izizwe
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About Development Design Group Inc.
Development Design Group Inc. is a leading international architecture, planning, graphics and design firm with a history of creating high-profile, high-quality environments around the world. The company’s vast portfolio includes exciting new retail and entertainment concepts; first-class hotel, leisure, and resort facilities; unique office and residential designs; and large mixed-use destinations offering a range of elements and activities. DDG specializes in entertainment/retail environments, regional planning, waterfront development, urban and suburban revitalization, specialty center development, and creative concept generation for land use.
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