UN-Habitat, S. Korea to Build Floating City, Pioneering New Living Amid Rising Sea Level

• Sommana Yan
• 29 November 2021
• International News
• 2184 Views

A floating city is planned to be built offshore of South Korea’s Busan city and will become a model floating city for city development to coastal cities around the world amid the issues of rising sea levels and climate changes.

The project is a cooperation between UN-Habitat, the South Korean government, and Oceanix, a company founded by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels Group, with an official agreement signed last week.

According to Global Construction Review, the initial cost of this project is estimated at US$200 million with the aim to have the first platforms in the water by 2025.

According to media reports, the plan is to assemble the city over 75ha with an initial population of 10,000.

Itai Madamombe, a co-founder of Oceanix, said that the idea would be useful to all coastal cities around the world, and all coastal communities that are facing the challenge of sea-level rise.

The project will also be discussed at a second UN roundtable in April 2022, while Oceanix is also in talks with at least 10 governments about building more floating cities.

• Urbanization and Architect