City of dreams

CITE in New Mexico aims to lay the foundation for cities of the future

It sounds like the dream architecture brief – create a city from scratch – one that perhaps would only get handed out in China or the Middle East. However, there’s a brand new city going up in the US at the moment. But this is no ‘blue sky’ architectural scheme. The job has actually gone to a ‘technology development firm’ whose specialisms are in defence and security. Washington DC-based Pegasus Global Holdings is creating what’s being billed as the world’s biggest testing centre.

The Center for Innovation, Testing and Evaluation is being built on a 15-square-mile site in New Mexico. It’s being modelled on a medium-sized US city and will be big enough to support a population of 35,000.

However, the CITE will be a ‘ghost city’, used as a life-sized laboratory for businesses, universities and government agencies. Here, Pegasus will be able to test out systems such as surveillance, smart power grids and cyber security. Although it will be uninhabited, Pegasus is including standard elements of any conurbation, including roadways, housing, commercial buildings, along with utilities. The idea is that new technologies can be integrated into existing infrastructure. CITE is due to open in 2014.