Nizhni Novgorod: City of a Future Green Peace?

The Ecotopia 2121 Project details the futures of 100 cities across the globe as though they've somehow overcome all environmental challenges and become super-ecofriendly. This month, we highlight the future of the Russian city of Nizhni Novgorod.

(For a Russian-language review of The Ecotopia 2121 Project, visit National Geographic Russia)

Future Nizhni Novgorod on the Banks of the Volga River

(Complete with an early 22nd Century "Peace Park")

Nizhni Novgorod has grown over the past couple of hundred years to become the third main city in Russia. In the past, the city was known for its industrial output -- mainly in the form of automobiles. In the future, though, Russians are happy to forego their private cars and forge new forms of old public transport -- including sustainable hydrogen-powered tramways and ecofriendly solar-powered ferries.