From California up to Copenhagen, cities are taking steps to stay afloat. But as the team C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group predicts that sea level rise by at least half a meter will affect 800 million city dwellers by 2050its treatment climate change will clearly require some unexpected and unconventional ideas.
Oceanix Busan: The world’s first floating city
The Oceanix Busanthen, is a recently presented plan for what would function as a sustainable floating neighborhood just off the coast of its large port city South Korea. The modular project will use a wide range sustainable materials and methods in an effort to promote one self-sustaining human habitat able to withstand any sea level rise. Here’s a closer look at some of the elements that make this offshore project so innovative.
Three platforms, three purposes
The original design of the Oceanix Busan provides three interconnected platforms, which are connected to the mainland by bridges, each with a separate function. There is a platform accommodation, which offers rooms with great views of the harbor, shops, restaurants and other public areas. A platform research has a garden with temperature control, including hydroponic towers that will grow the food of the floating city. Finally, the platform living is the place where full-time residents live and gather.
There is room for expansion
The original design of Oceanix provides 15.5 acres of space platform with space for 12,000 people. But just as it is designed to rise with sea level, its rather articulated footprint can be developed to accommodate 100,000 people in total 20 platforms.
It is built with materials that are developed
A key material on the Oceanix Busan platforms – which will be anchored at the bottom of the sea – is the Biorock. Often used to repair damage to coral reefs and the rejuvenation of aquatic ecosystems, the Biorock absorbs substantially metals from seawater to form with natural way a limestone coating which is not only many times stronger than standard concrete, but is also self-sustaining and self-repairing over time. Add to that the fact that Biorock actually absorbs some carbon dioxide and it is easy to understand why this sustainable material plays an essential role in the project.
Sustainability meets circularity
Oceanix Busan is designed to leave nothing to be desired. The project will use systems closed loop where (re)collect, filter and reuse the water. But waste will be utilized for use as agricultural raw material and friendly to environment forms of energy. The on the spot solar and wind power will also allow for electricity autonomy, although the platforms are connected to the local electricity grid as a back-up system.
New ways of moving
Although the connection to solid ground provides access to a terrestrial Metro station, traditional cars and trains are not the way residents will browse the platforms themselves. Except from the movement post legs or the bikeOceanix promises ‘common and multimodal mobility’, which could include something similar to aquatic buses.
Oceanix Busan is currently in the licensing phase. Once this is done, construction of the $ 627 million project is expected to begin in 2023, with the goal of completing it before the end of 2025.
Photos: Oceanix Busan
Source: News Beast
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