Take a look at plans for the 'world's first floating city' in South Korea, designed to adapt to rising sea levels

Grace DeanApr 26, 2022, 17:34 IST

The city will consist of interconnected platforms.OCEANIX/BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group

Busan, South Korea, has agreed to host the "world's first floating city" in a UN-backed project.
The city, made up of interconnected platforms, will generate its own power and clean water.

Busan is South Korea's second-largest city with a population of around 3.4 million.

Busan is South Korea's second-largest city.Nattanai Chimjanon/EyeEm/Getty Images

Busan is a major maritime hub and its port ranks among the ten busiest in the world. It's also among the many coastal cities being threatened by rising sea levels.

Busan has a large maritime economy.Insung Jeon/Getty Images

In November, Busan officials agreed to host the world's first so-called 'floating city' in collaboration with designers Oceanix and the UN Human Settlement Programme, also known as UN-Habitat.

The coastal city of Busan.Insung Jeon/Getty Images

In November, Busan officials agreed to host the world's first so-called 'floating city' in collaboration with designers Oceanix and the UN Human Settlement Programme, also known as UN-Habitat.

On Tuesday, Oceanix released mockups of how the prototype floating city in Busan's North Port may look.

Mockups of Busan's floating city.OCEANIX/BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group

The images show how the city, constructed on interconnected platforms, will slowly be built ...

Mockups of Busan's floating city.OCEANIX/BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group

... until it covers an area of 15.5 acres. Oceanix says it will be able to accommodate around 12,000 people.

Mockups of Busan's floating city.OCEANIX/BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group

Neighborhoods will be split into areas for living, research, and lodging for visitors.

Mockups of buildings on Busan's floating city.OCEANIX/BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group

The buildings will be low-rise with terraces and lots of access to outdoor space. The platforms will also house greenhouses and urban agriculture.

Mockups of streets on Busan's floating city.OCEANIX/BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group

Platforms will have between 30,000 to 40,000 square meters (around 7 to 10 acres) of space, and they'll be connected to each other by bridge.

Mockups of the platforms on Busan's floating city, with buildings covered in solar panels.OCEANIX/BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group

Oceanix says the project "takes into character the social, political, environmental, and economic aspects of South Korea. This will be informed by Busan's unique juxtaposition of old and new, a port-city rich with culture, art, and trade."

Mockups of buildings on Busan's floating city.OCEANIX/BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group

Oceanix says the project "takes into character the social, political, environmental, and economic aspects of South Korea. This will be informed by Busan's unique juxtaposition of old and new, a port-city rich with culture, art, and trade."

The city will generate all of its own power using solar panels located on rooftops and floating on the sea. It will have a zero-waste economy, only allow electric vehicles, and treat and replenish its own water.

Mockups of streets on Busan's floating city.OCEANIX/BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group

The city will generate all of its own power using solar panels located on rooftops and floating on the sea. It will have a zero-waste economy, only allow electric vehicles, and treat and replenish its own water.

An Oceanix cofounder previously told Insider that the city could cost around $200 million to build and that the first parts could be ready by as early as 2025. Oceanix revealed the new designs ahead of the Second UN Roundtable on Sustainable Floating Cities, which is being held in New York on Tuesday.

Mockups of buildings on Busan's floating city.OCEANIX/BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group

An Oceanix cofounder previously told Insider that the city could cost around $200 million to build and that the first parts could be ready by as early as 2025. Oceanix revealed the new designs ahead of the Second UN Roundtable on Sustainable Floating Cities, which is being held in New York on Tuesday.

In November, Saudi Arabia announced plans to build an eight-sided city that would float on the Red Sea. It said the city, Oxagon, would be "home to the world's first fully automated port and integrated logistics hub."

A rendering of the Oxagon.Neom

In November, Saudi Arabia announced plans to build an eight-sided city that would float on the Red Sea. It said the city, Oxagon, would be "home to the world's first fully automated port and integrated logistics hub."

The rate of sea level rise is accelerating. The UN says that global sea levels rose on average by 0.16 inches per year between 2013 and 2021, compared with 0.08 inches per year between 1993 and 2002.

Florida's low-lying coastline is especially vulnerable to the impacts of rising sea levels.Ashley Cooper/Getty Images

The rate of sea level rise is accelerating. The UN says that global sea levels rose on average by 0.16 inches per year between 2013 and 2021, compared with 0.08 inches per year between 1993 and 2002.

In a program for Tuesday's conference, the UN said that floating cities are "an innovative way to create new land for coastal cities facing severe housing shortages and looking for sustainable ways to expand onto the ocean, while adapting to sea level rise and climate change."

Mockups of the platforms on Busan's floating city.OCEANIX/BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group

In a program for Tuesday's conference, the UN said that floating cities are "an innovative way to create new land for coastal cities facing severe housing shortages and looking for sustainable ways to expand onto the ocean, while adapting to sea level rise and climate change."

But the UN warned that floating cities "are not the single silver bullet. They are a part of the arsenal of climate adaptation strategies available to us; floating cities are buoyant and therefore flood proof."

Mockups of buildings on Busan's floating city.OCEANIX/BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group

But the UN warned that floating cities "are not the single silver bullet. They are a part of the arsenal of climate adaptation strategies available to us; floating cities are buoyant and therefore flood proof."

The UN added that floating cities "give us a clean slate to design climate-neutral citiesfrom the start." They can also be towed to bring resources to areas of need during humanitarian crises, the UN said.

Mockups of buildings on Busan's floating city.OCEANIX/BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group

The UN added that floating cities "give us a clean slate to design climate-neutral citiesfrom the start." They can also be towed to bring resources to areas of need during humanitarian crises, the UN said.

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Take a look at plans for the 'world's first floating city' in South Korea, designed to adapt to rising sea levels

Busan is South Korea's second-largest city with a population of around 3.4 million.

Busan is a major maritime hub and its port ranks among the ten busiest in the world. It's also among the many coastal cities being threatened by rising sea levels.

In November, Busan officials agreed to host the world's first so-called 'floating city' in collaboration with designers Oceanix and the UN Human Settlement Programme, also known as UN-Habitat.

On Tuesday, Oceanix released mockups of how the prototype floating city in Busan's North Port may look.

The images show how the city, constructed on interconnected platforms, will slowly be built ...

... until it covers an area of 15.5 acres. Oceanix says it will be able to accommodate around 12,000 people.

Neighborhoods will be split into areas for living, research, and lodging for visitors.

The buildings will be low-rise with terraces and lots of access to outdoor space. The platforms will also house greenhouses and urban agriculture.

Platforms will have between 30,000 to 40,000 square meters (around 7 to 10 acres) of space, and they'll be connected to each other by bridge.

Oceanix says the project "takes into character the social, political, environmental, and economic aspects of South Korea. This will be informed by Busan's unique juxtaposition of old and new, a port-city rich with culture, art, and trade."

The city will generate all of its own power using solar panels located on rooftops and floating on the sea. It will have a zero-waste economy, only allow electric vehicles, and treat and replenish its own water.

In November, Saudi Arabia announced plans to build an eight-sided city that would float on the Red Sea. It said the city, Oxagon, would be "home to the world's first fully automated port and integrated logistics hub."

The rate of sea level rise is accelerating. The UN says that global sea levels rose on average by 0.16 inches per year between 2013 and 2021, compared with 0.08 inches per year between 1993 and 2002.

In a program for Tuesday's conference, the UN said that floating cities are "an innovative way to create new land for coastal cities facing severe housing shortages and looking for sustainable ways to expand onto the ocean, while adapting to sea level rise and climate change."

But the UN warned that floating cities "are not the single silver bullet. They are a part of the arsenal of climate adaptation strategies available to us; floating cities are buoyant and therefore flood proof."

The UN added that floating cities "give us a clean slate to design climate-neutral citiesfrom the start." They can also be towed to bring resources to areas of need during humanitarian crises, the UN said.