Did you know that the amount of light reaching the Earth's surface in one hour contains enough energy to meet the energy needs world for an entire year? In Linz, Austria, have understood the concept. So well that, a few miles from the center, was born a new residential district: Solar City. A model of sustainability and cost, applied to an entire urban district. Today
a Solar City live about 3200 people, will further increase. The structure was planned in a manner typical of the ecology of Central European culture: the search for urban density, the social mix (mostly young couples) as well as flexible to offer different possibilities of use of housing, some free market, to other social . The project is organized
around four nuclei arranged around a central plaza with the Tower Center, a facility that meets the library, community center, health center, pharmacy, banks and shops. Each area is within walking distance of every point, because car use, it goes without saying, is discouraged: a light rail line connects directly to the Linz-Pichling downtown.
A true collection of sustainability applied unfolds in plant and details: the compact design of the buildings, their bioclimatic right orientation, the adjustable sunshade for protection in summer, greenhouses, winter gardens, the large open areas or windows protected balconies and overhangs, covering the walkways, with stained glass and reflective mirrors. And again, the sun's energy to produce electricity and hot water, controlled ventilation with heat recovery, ground control units for heating and cooling air, the separation of sewage and rainwater harvesting, to the separation of urine and their shipment to farmland through the use of special toilets.
