Carbon-neutral buildings and tree-lined streets are at the heart of plans for a brand new city in a pocket of Australia where temperatures can be among the hottest on earth in the summer and climate change looms as a major threat.

Bradfield City Centre is under construction on an expanse of dirt and scrub about 35 miles (56 kilometers) west of Sydney’s central business district and harborfront, neighboring a new international airport that is set to open in 2026. The city and airport are part of the wider Aerotropolis, an area of about 11,000 hectares, around the size of 16 Manhattan blocks.

The state government hopes the development will “supercharge the creation of jobs and economic opportunities” in western Sydney, an area that’s home to about 2.5 million people and has some of the fastest growth rates in the OECD.

By Adam Haigh

Full Story