A model eco-city named Maidar is being built in the middle of Mongolian steppe. It’s planned to house some 300,000 inhabitants and have its own university, museums and religious centers, along with areas dedicated for tourism and film industries. The city is designed by German city planner Stefan Schmitz. Sites have already been earmarked for the construction of buildings. The city had been originally planned for only 20,000 people, but it gradually became a construction project of national significance.

The city, which is to draw most of its energy from renewable sources, will follow ecological principles and feature an independent drinking water supply as well as an environmentally-friendly and decentralized traffic and living concepts. And to the south of the city, land is already reserved for sustainable agriculture. This is to supply the city with food, and also aimed at halting the increasing desertification in the region.

The city’s districts are planned in such a way that they exist independently of each other, with their own centers and public transport including electric cars. So far, only the lower half of a Buddha statue is all that stands; however once completed, the Buddha statue is set to be 54 meters or 177 feet in height and symbolize the city’s religious and political center. The first stage of construction for an estimated 90,000 people is set to be ready by 2030.