Drone deliveries, electric buses, on-street chargers and vertical farming are among the innovative ideas being proposed for a futuristic development on the edge of Perth.
Plans unveiled for futuristic Perth West development which includes 1,600 homes and 1,000 jobs
The Perth West project will aim to change the face of transportation in the city, from electric cars and buses to shared car ownership, e-bikes and enhanced cycling routes.
Buses would be charged automatically at bus stops from on-street charging points.
The project could also be a pioneer in vertical farming, with “green” walls in residential flats where homeowners can grow their own plants.
Alexander Dewar, of the John Dewar Lamberkin Trust, said: “It’s futuristic. Quite a lot of it hasn’t been done before.
“We’re referencing projects from around the world. We’re talking about electric buses, we’re talking about mobility hubs, providing community electric charging points for cars but also reacting to the way people will use their cars and car ownership.
“We think our project will be an opportunity to trial some of these and be part of the solution.”
Central to the development will be the creation of a Perth Innovation Highway connecting it to the city centre along Glasgow Road.
Mark Richardson of planners Ristol Consulting said: “We’re looking at trying to see what infrastructure we can use to connect city centres to neighbourhoods and the wider region so that what’s good for those areas supports the growth of city centre.
“(The Innovation Highway) will form this corridor where we can trial different ways of transporting people and goods, charging cars and getting low carbon heat and electricity into houses and that will be the corridor that will transform the city.
“It’s a project that’s no longer looking at the western edge in isolation but connecting the city centre.”
Backs say Perth West could transform the city into a UK leader as part of efforts to become a carbon zero economy by 2045 and reduce carbon output by 50% by 2030.
Mr Richardson said: “We have to start this project as soon as possible to decarbonise the city and to do it in a way that is inclusive and creates opportunities.
“We could be starting this project next year and give Perth a real opportunity in leading the way to build smart sustainable infrastructure.
“There’s so much discussion at the moment with all the problems with climate change and the need for speed but here’s an opportunity for Perth to lead the way by demonstrating how we can build and deliver new infrastructure, houses, offices and public amenities to really enable the city to decarbonise.
“If we get this right it will be one of the first cities in the UK to really lead the way and move the dial from talking about the problems to ‘how do we make this happen’.”
