Abu Dhabi officials had big plans for Masdar City.

When they broke ground on the development in 2008, it was slated to be the world’s most sustainable city, with zero carbon emissions, zero waste and zero cars. But construction, which was originally scheduled to wrap up this year, has been much slower than expected. And the city has not achieved full carbon neutrality — according to the Guardian, current plans suggest that only half of the city’s power will be renewable.

As of now, the city sits mostly empty — only around 300 people live there, and the completion date has been pushed back to 2030.

French photographer Etienne Malapert became interested in Masdar City while studying at ECAL, a Swiss school of art and design. He visited Masdar City last year and documented its buildings, streets and plazas.

Take a look at his photos.