The promise and the performance of the world's first two zero carbon eco-cities

The paper brings out that no 'eco-city' concept can be translated into reality unless and until the inhabitants of the eco-city are prepared to voluntarily and consistently observe certain restrictions on resource consumption and to sacrifice some of the basically illusory but highly fancied 'comforts' which drive consumption in conventional habitations. It follows that many of those measures that are sought to be introduced in the eco-cities to make them cleaner and greener can very much be implemented in existing cities if only the same extent of voluntary participation from the lay public can be invoked that is expected in the 'eco-cities'.