On the Horizon: Floating Cities
Waterborne towns have drawn the attention of designers and architects like none other in recent years, to the point that it can be challenging to distinguish between them: Oceanix City was unveiled by Bjarke Ingels Group in 2019, a floating community in the Maldives is already taking shape, mobile floating pods are being produced in Panama, and construction for a floating city in Busan may soon get underway, according to plans for a floating city off the coast of French Polynesia that were put forth by a California nonprofit in 2017.
Structure of the Floating City
By building a metropolis with zero energy use and entirely green transportation systems, Floating City intends to advance the concept of living on the water. The enormous white and curving buildings in the 25-acre community, designed in the style of Zaha Hadid, were created, in part, thanks to artificial intelligence. The undertaking can grow and house more than 200,000 people.
The city is envisioned as a network of connected platforms that will contain a mix of high-rise and low-rise structures. All of these structures will be covered by a membrane made of solar glasses, which would power the entire floating system and render it energy independent.
The project’s concept also mentions a “lifestyle” platform for establishments like hotels, shopping centers, or sports stadiums, in addition to one for things like offices, public buildings, and hospitals. A healthier lifestyle, harmony with the environment, and a reconsideration of the conventional ideas of community and society are all possible in a sustainable city. Solar panels, wind turbines, and other forms of renewable energy are also incorporated. Agriculture and food production are interconnected, and both practice zero waste.
The floating metropolis is covered in green spaces and vertical gardens, while meeting and social rooms are designed to foster a sense of community. Communities will be able to produce their food and become self-sufficient due to farming being linked with social space. Every floating island will include a communal living structure with markets, places of worship, and other centers of culture.
How Does One Get To the Floating City
You can travel to Floating City by air or sea. The floating metropolis has both internal and external docks, as well as several naval entries. Additionally, each floating platform has drone ports.
All floating platforms housing offices, government agencies, health facilities, and academic facilities, along with all levels of schools and universities, are connected to the primary residence floating platform through water and air.
With numerous floating regions more focused on lifestyle services including hotels, wellness and spa centers, sports facilities, shopping centers, bookshops, and leisure activities, the connected system also serves as a popular tourist destination.
Climate Change and Rising Sea Levels
Five billion people are expected to live in cities by the year 2030, representing half of the world’s population (4 billion). Only 3% of the area on the planet is occupied by cities, but they consume 60–80% of the world’s energy and produce 75% of its carbon emissions.
A project idea for resilient and sustainable cities is called Floating City. Scalable, flexible, and sustainable Several coastal cities, including New York, Miami, New Orleans, Jakarta, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Tokyo, which are particularly vulnerable to sea level rise due to their low elevation, were designed to adapt to these cities’ changing needs.
Current Needs
As part of the Neom development, Saudi Arabia has disclosed plans to construct the “world’s largest floating structure,” the Oxagon port and logistics hub.
Oxagon, one of 10 areas planned for the Neom development in northeastern Saudi Arabia, will grow into a port city on the Red Sea and be positioned to benefit from shipping that uses the Suez Canal.
As part of the Neom development, Saudi Arabia has disclosed plans to construct the “world’s largest floating structure,” the Oxagon port and logistics hub.
Oxagon, one of 10 areas planned for the Neom development in northeastern Saudi Arabia, will grow into a port city on the Red Sea and be positioned to benefit from shipping that uses the Suez Canal.
Conclusion
Even though many of these initiatives emphasize that climate change will continue to affect our planet and necessitate new ways of thinking, water may very well be the foundation of human civilization in the future, but none of these ambitious plans have yet been realized. Of fact, it may only take one successful project to demonstrate the worth of floating cities, and when the time comes to construct, there will be no shortage of available plans.
