If you imagine a city with plenty of water, you can create an image similar to Venice in Italy, with land buildings and alleys with side streets. However, the future may soon improve this image and transform it into something completely different: a completely stable, floating and vibrant city built entirely on water. Sound impossible? This concept may be closer than you think. The first prototype of a floating city to be built in Busan, South Korea has just been unveiled.

The need for the world’s first floating city is linked to continued climate change and ever higher ocean levels. For a bustling shipping hub like Busan, which ranks 6th on the list of the world’s busiest ports (according to WorldShipping.org), the continued rise in water levels could one day be disastrous. That’s why the local government decided to work with the United Nations and design firm Oceanix to create the first city of this kind in Busan.

After working on the project for a while, the UN, Busan and Oceanix are now able to provide very clear images of what the city might look like. Although the images are breathtaking and futuristic, they only provide an insight into what should become reality in a few years.

According to Oceanix, the city can accommodate approximately 12,000 people and may expand to 100,000 in the future. The floating city, which has not been named for now, will consist of several platforms connected by a series of bridges and will be divided into different sections, including living quarters, living quarters and research buildings. The buildings will be modern in design, low, and have a lot of open space between them. The models show lots of greenery, street stalls, shops and recreation areas spread over a total area of ​​15.5 acres.

Every drop of water used in the floating city will be treated and recycled on site. It will also rely on solar panels to generate and meet all of its energy needs. These panels will be scattered all over the city, both on the roofs of the houses and on the sea. While traffic is allowed around it, the city will only allow electric cars to keep the air as clean as possible.

In 2021, Oceanix co-founder Itai Madamombe told Insider about the future city of Busan. He said the estimated cost of the project is around $200 million and we could see early parts of the city as early as 2025, but it’s unclear when people will be given the opportunity to buy apartments and eventually move out. Source