The world’s first floating city will be built off the coast of South Korea by 2025 as a way for humanity to survive rising sea levels. Backed by the UN, it will be ‘a flood-proof infrastructure’ made up of several islands raised above the sea to eliminate the risk of flooding.
A self-sufficient city
It will generate electricity from solar panels on top of buildings, produce its own food (organic products will be efficiently grown in aeroponic and aquaponic systems, complemented by traditional freshwater and outdoor farms and greenhouses); it could withstand natural disasters , including floods, tsunamis and Category 5 hurricanes, as its floating platforms will be anchored to the sea floor.
How much will this project cost?
Construction of the floating city is estimated at about $ 200 million and will begin very soon thanks to a ‘landmark agreement’ signed by the Metropolitan City of Busan of the Republic of Korea, UN-Habitat and designers Oceanix of New York.
Building the city will prioritize locally sourced materials , including bamboo which has six times the tensile strength of steel and a negative carbon footprint.
All structures built in the city will stay below seven stories to create a low center of gravity and resist wind, according to Oceanix.
The size of the city has not yet been decided, but the largest villages covering 75 hectares could host up to 10,000 residents , according to project leaders.
Why in Busan?
Like many coastal cities, Busan is threatened by rising sea levels and flooding, hence this infrastructure can help solve this future catastrophe.
