Sustainability
Port City Colombo Philosophy
Port City Colombo follows an integrated approach, for the management of energy, water, and waste, with its sustainability initiatives focused on protecting and preserving the environment, engaging its global community, and ensuring diversity and relevance across all of its sustainable activities.
Built on a philosophy that focuses on holistic sustainable living and practices, Port City Colombo through its environmental sustainability strategy can address major global sustainability concerns through its green infrastructure supported by renewable energy sources and systems solutions - effectively creating a smart city that reduces the urban heat island effect and becomes resource efficient with a minimized demand for energy.
Port City Colombo will act as South Asia’s benchmark for environmentally friendly practices and spaces, making it a sought-after lifestyle destination and business & financial district for forward-thinking individuals, businesses and professionals.
With the goal to encourage innovation in sustainable living and business, Port City Colombo welcomes modern practices in sustainable living that promotes environmentally friendly practices that will stand as a testament to the power of green living and energy efficiency.
It will be a green city, with open areas, waterways, and parks. A city where good public transport options and a layout that will be conducive to walking and cycling will reduce the troubles of heavy traffic. It will be a city where you will see green roofs, car parks with abundant tree shading and renewable energy installed. It will be a city that will promote a healthy and sustainable lifestyle to all inhabitants, both human and animal.
Encouraging Sustainable Development
Staying true to its sustainability goals, Port City Colombo will incorporate sustainability guidelines and best practices for third-party developers to abide by when developing their individual plots of land and construction spaces.
To ensure these guidelines for sustainable business and living are met, Port City Colombo guarantees to provide its smart city urbanites and businesses with the necessary infrastructure and facilities to make it easy to curate a sustainable lifestyle without compromising the quality of the services delivered.
1. Sustainability Strategy
Port City Colombo addresses major sustainability issues through its physical and functional structure in combination with integrated systems solutions. The overarching goal is to create a mixed-use livable and accessible city that reduces the urban heat island effect and becomes resource efficient with minimized energy demand.
This is done by defining strategies & sustainable guiding principles for:
Urban Pattern
The layout of orientation, continuation, shape and dimension, taking local climate conditions into consideration and promoting resource-efficient, convenient micro-climate and attractive urban spaces.
Sustainable Urban Design Principles
Promoting an open city with continuous green-blue and open spaces, accessible and attractive for all.
Land-use, Traffic & Transport
Promoting accessibility through walking, bicycling and an efficient public transportation system minimizing car dependency.
Honors and Awards
2. Master Transport Strategy Overview
Port City Colombo’s master plan has been designed to prioritize non-motorized models of transport such as walking and cycling. By inverting the traditional city transport model, large improvements will be seen in air quality and the reduction of the heat island effect contributing to the mission of a livable city.
To make this a practical reality the masterplan incorporates the following design principles:
Boulevards Unique to South Asia
Offering a shaded environment with clear use designations for different modes of transportation.
Retail activation paired with direct overhead links from proposed LRT stations to offices and malls.
3. Walking, Cycling & Public Transportation
The compact nature of the city along with careful attention to solar shading encourages walking to primary destinations & public transport. A cycle hire scheme with a comprehensive network of cycle paths caters for both commuting & leisure cycling.
The result is that an estimated 300,000 public transportation trips will be made per day in Port City Colombo.
4. Green & Blue Strategy
Green Hierarchy
Parks and open spaces play a vital role in the development of Port City Colombo, enabling a high quality of life and promoting a clean and green identity.
The following hierarchy will be delivered at the city level and is intended to meet and exceed the Urban Development Authorities' Public Open Recreation Space (PORS) standard while responding to international best practices for livable cities.
Blue Engagement
As a key maritime location, the design of Port City Colombo offers activities and experiences that have a close relationship with water. A waterfront promenade connects the historic city with the new providing continuous pedestrian access from which to experience everything from the bustling CBD and Marina to the tranquil and neighbourly beach within Island Living.
The unique relationship with the water provides opportunities for water experiences (offering activities such as Canoeing and Paddle Boarding) along with boat piers offering water taxis for both locals and tourists.
5. Future Proof Infrastructure
The master developer is investing in a series of utility systems and solutions applied on all urban levels - city district, block & building to give Port City Colombo the infrastructure to support sustainable lifestyles in a healthy city.
This system also provides simplified connectivity to Colombo's reliable municipal systems.
Subterranean Services Implementation
Port City Colombo will have a modern service system running beneath the streets simplifying development by offering plots direct connectivity to the city grid.
