Taking the threat of rising sea levels into consideration, South Korean city Busan is building the world’s first floating city. The futuristic city will be built in a turquoise lagoon and will be able to house 20,000 people when it is finished.
According to the designers, the floating city will be a sustainable way for coastal cities to adapt to changing climates. It will be a self-reliant ecosystem that produces all its own food and water, and has zero waste systems. In addition, the floating city will be designed to withstand natural disasters and tsunami-like conditions.
The floating city will be built on a series of modular units, which are tethered to the ocean floor. Each platform is connected through bridges. There are also communal areas such as the living area, research facility, and winter garden. This will allow residents to enjoy a modern lifestyle.
The Oceanix Busan design calls for three interconnected platforms that total about 15.5 acres of surface space. These include a living platform with residential buildings, a research facility, and a shared winter garden. Another platform will be for lodging, which will feature retail and dining areas, as well as one to three bedroom units.
Residents will have the opportunity to travel by boat through canals that will form a pattern similar to the brain. This will be a pollution free, traffic-free way of moving between the different neighborhoods of the floating city. One advantage of this system is that each neighborhood will have its own sewage treatment plant, which will be used as manure for plants.
Other aspects of the floating city include water treatment, solar panels, and innovative mobility. The system will be flood-proof, allowing for easy evacuation in case of an emergency. In addition, the floating city will be powered by all its own energy, ensuring that there will be no dependency on the grid.
Another design that will be put into action in 2027 is the Maldives Floating City, a joint venture between the Maldives government and Dutch Docklands. As part of the design, there will be a school, commercial centers, and homes for 20,000 people.
Having a floating city could be the key to protecting coastal communities from rising sea levels. Currently, more than half of the land area of the Maldives is under a meter above sea level, and the sea levels are expected to rise even more in the coming decades. A combination of a floating city and a natural coral reef could provide a safe haven for the country’s citizens.
Although the Maldives Floating City is being built to protect the country’s economy, it will also help to create a safe and liveable environment. In fact, the project will be backed by the UN Human Settlements Program, which is an initiative of the United Nations.
If the plan goes according to plan, construction of the first block of the city will begin in January 2023. By then, the first housing units will be ready to be moved into.