Floating cities are going to be a reality soon. With the joint efforts of UN-habitat and blue tech company, Oceanix, the city of Busan in South Korea is going to get the world’s first floating city.
Busan is one of the busiest ports in the world, and due to its proximity to the sea, the city has always been vulnerable to natural disasters like typhoons.
Global warming has led to rising seawater levels, and natural disasters have become a common phenomenon. A floating city can be a perfect nature-based solution to protect cities from natural disasters like floods, tsunamis, category 5 hurricanes, and typhoons.
The Oceanix project unveiled plans for a flood-proof city in 2019. This floating city will be a ‘flood proof’ framework that rises with the sea and produces its own food, energy, and freshwater with fully integrated zero waste closed-loop systems. The project is likely to be completed by 2025.
Maimunah Mohd. Sharif, Executive director of UN-Habitat, opines that man should co-exist with nature instead of fighting it. A floating city is a perfect example of climate adaptation besides protecting mankind.
The proposal outlined a floating community which will be a collection of hexagonal platforms perched on top of the water. Designers consider hexagons the most efficient architectural shapes due to their space and material-saving ability.
The platforms will be built using limestone coating, which will be buoyant and two or three times harder than concrete. The material is created by exposing underwater minerals to electric current, making them stronger enough to withstand harsh weather conditions. The city is expected to accommodate up to 10,000 residents over an area of 75 hectares.
Besides being self-sufficient in terms of food, water, and energy, the floating city will have the capacity to produce electricity with the help of solar panels installed on the top of buildings and will ferry the residents on futuristic boat pods. It will promote organic farming in aeroponic and aquaponic systems along with traditional outdoor farms and greenhouses.
According to Oceanix, the residents will initially have to survive only on a plant-based diet to reduce strain on space, energy, and water. Once the project gets completed, Oceanix aims to design floating cities in other coastal cities worldwide.
Image Courtesy: Oceanix City
