Central Park opens with hosting The Festival
abu dhabi — The inauguration of Masdar City’s new community amenity, Central Park coincided with its hosting of The Festival on Thursday.
During the three day event, Central Park will feature themed zones, each focused on raising awareness about sustainability through fun and educational workshops.
A main stage will feature live performances, such as comedy and game shows, and educational talks about sustainability, while other zones will be dedicated to community engagement and interactive events, including science shows.
Workshops will increase awareness on sustainability, recycling and upcycling, while local producers will sell eco-friendly goods and handcrafted gifts. There will also be a special area focused on food sustainability, including how to grow your own produce, composting and food waste.
The park is designed to achieve Abu Dhabi’s first Exemplar rating under the Estidama Pearl Community Rating System (PCRS). The event is open to everyone and members of the public will be able to learn more about sustainability and making more environmentally aware decisions.
“The Festival is the highlight community event of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. We are delighted to be able to host it in Central Park, our newest sustainability-focused amenity. Masdar City is focused on pedestrians and this vision continues with this new development, which aims to promote active living and healthy lifestyles while encouraging social interaction, engagement and walkability,” said Yousef Baselaib, executive director, sustainable real estate, Masdar.
“Central Park is a reflection of Masdar City’s continued commitment to innovation, development and acceptance of all cultures, and it is fitting that we inaugurate the park as the country begins its preparations for our half centenary, he added.
The Central Park has been designed to reflect the four principles of the Estidama system — economic, environment, social and cultural — and is built to the highest sustainability standards to reduce energy and water consumption, construction and operational waste, and carbon emissions for materials used in the park.
More about the park
Conservation measures include the collection of organic, green-cut and biodegradable waste material for onsite landscaping and the inclusion of native and adaptive drought- and salt-tolerant plants. The park has achieved 80 per cent shading for primary pathways and 100 per cent shading over playgrounds, improving the outdoor thermal comfort of the park. Energy for lighting comes from renewable sources such as photovoltaic panels.
Educational elements include a storytelling stage, along with urban farming areas — including edible maze areas, climbers and green walls that will grow herbs and vegetables. The park’s landmark feature is a fog
Central Park is a reflection of Masdar City’s continued commitment to innovation, development and acceptance of all cultures.” Yousef Baselaib, executive director, sustainable real estate, Masdar
harvesting tower, which will collect humidity to supplement the waterefficient irrigation system feeding the urban farming areas. Organic waste and landscape waste from the park will be converted to compost for use in the park’s landscaping.