Las Vegas Mini-City Will Be the World’s First Net-Zero Smart City

Bleutech Park will feature net-zero buildings inside its smart mini-city 

In December, one of the most ambitious construction projects in the world will break ground in the Las Vegas Valley. The $7.5 billion project, known as Bleutech Park, will be the first “mini-city” in the world to boast an entirely digital infrastructure and feature exclusively net-zero buildings. Construction is estimated to take six years. 
Sponsored by REIT, Bleutech Properties, Inc., the project is also a collaboration with Martin-Harris Construction and Cisco, among others. It will be powered by and feature technology such as: self-healing concrete, renewable energy, AI, IoT, supertrees (steel trees that collect rainwater, convert solar energy, and work as cooling ducts), autonomous vehicles, and more. 
The Tech at Bleutech Park 
Powering a mini-city in the middle of the desert is no small feat, especially one that is net-zero and runs entirely on renewable energy. To accomplish such a lofty goal, Bleutech Park is making photovoltaic glass a standard material in all buildings. In some cases, entire faces of buildings will essentially become solar panels.  
Construction will utilize self-healing materials that contain polymers that react with one another when exposed by a rupture and fill in the empty spaces like glue when building materials crack. Additionally, the city will have its own waste treatment facility, water purification system, and air cleaning capabilities. 
Perhaps most impressively, according to PR Newswire, the floors of buildings will be able to “capture and reuse the energy of human movement throughout the park including common areas and parking structures.” Combined, all of the impressive tech will make Bleutech Park 100 percent off-the-grid and emissions free. 

Creating Jobs through Green Construction and Technology 
Building the mini-city is expected to create 25,000 jobs and will feature on-site training for construction workers who need to acquire new skills, such as piloting the unmanned vehicles that will be used to work in dangerous and hard-to-reach places. Las Vegas Laborers Union Local 872 is on board and ready to supply workers. 
Bleutech Park will be a mixed-use city, featuring retail, entertainment, offices, and more. To attract a wide range of workers — including local teachers, firemen, police officers, and nurses — the mini-city will feature affordable housing in addition to its “ultra- luxury” residences and hotels.  
The City of the Future? 
Some might worry about the security steps being taken at Bleutech Park, which will include “365/24/7 security using biometrics and other state-of-the-art technologies,”and could raise privacy concerns. However, others are sure to overlook such concerns to feel safe and secure in a ground-breaking community. 
The tech and sustainability of Bleutech Park are certainly intriguing and, if successful, the mini-city could provide a blueprint for the construction of net-zero communities in even some of the harshest environments. At the very least, it will be yet another point of interest for future travelers to Las Vegas.