Floating cities are more than a fantastical idea: engineers, scientists, and architects are making them real.
It’s predicted that by the end of this century more than 500 coastal cities around the world will
be underwater because of sea level rise. Massive storms fueled by climate change will further
threaten flooded coasts.
In recent years, scientists and engineers have been building prototypes of floating cities. Floating
cities can rise along with sea levels and ride the waves of big storms. If floating cities near
coastlines become a reality, then coastal ecosystems can be restored to act as natural flood
barriers. In some cases, floating cities are extensions of existing cities, in other cases they are
completely independent.
Today’s experimental floating cities use cutting-edge technology and clean energy to house
people comfortably and provide everything they need. Built with materials that have neutral or
beneficial impacts on biological systems, they are designed to start healing the damage done to
the ocean as well as keep their residents safe and healthy.