The Netherlands with two thirds of its population live in areas lower than sea level has announced a plan to build floating mega cities. The island comprises 87 large floating triangles that are flexibly connected to one another. Together they form a flexible floating island that can be as large as 1 to 5 km in cross-section. These triangles are tethered to the floor below and tested in a water tank with simulated wind and waves. Researchers consider city-sized settlement of homes, farms, parks, recreational areas, and ports.

A floating island (Photo: Seasteading Institute)

The French Polynesia authority has also planned to build a cluster of floating islands in the southern Pacific. The Polynesian archipelago which comprises 118 islands is facing rising sea level threats. Its floating city will have aquaculture farms, healthcare and medical research facilities, and renewable energy plants. The floating city will consist of 11 interconnected square and pentagonal platforms. Each platform is 50m wide and made from concrete, from which 3-storey buildings can be built. Technical firm Deltasync confirms the economic feasibility of the project, saying each floating platform will cost up to 1 million USD and the total cost for the construction of the first floating city will be some 167 million USD. The city will accommodate 250 to 300 people by 2020 and millions of people by 2050. The government of French Polynesia has signed an agreement with California-based Seasteading Institute to begin construction work by 2019. Floating city is one of humankind’s new measures to cope with climate change, but requires such condition as low sea waves.