Architecture
Floating cities test urban life on the water
Modular districts expand housing and infrastructure where land is scarce.
Image by N-Ark
Coastal land is tight, and flood risk is rising for many urban areas. Floating cities use modular platforms to add housing and services on protected waters near shore.
Developers and policymakers are rolling out pilot projects:
Japan research push: Shimizu Corporation leads a national program to study large floating districts. The multi-year effort covers engineering, law, and operations through 2028. It aims to make city-scale platforms practical for real sites in Asia.
Japan’s Dogen City concept: N-ARK’s ring-shaped city proposes homes, clinics, farms, and data hubs offshore. Recent coverage in 2025 shows the plan moving through concept reviews while teams test pieces on land. It illustrates Japan’s bold vision, even as timelines evolve.
Square Floating City (Netherlands): A “square” city block system scales to a 1 km², 35,000-person district. The team is advancing pilots with Dutch partners and publishing 2024–2025 progress notes. Modules ship fast and cost less than land reclamation.
Dubai pathways: SEVENTH & Reefs: SEVENTH publishes a floating community program with hospitality, wellness, and farming, backed by BRIDGES2000 know-how. In parallel, URB’s Dubai Reefs proposes a floating research and eco-tourism city with housing and jobs. Both signal Dubai’s turn toward ocean living.
Maldives Floating City progress: Satellite images in 2024 showed visible construction of a lagoon-based city near Malé. The project uses modular pontoons for 5,000 homes, targeting phased move-ins through the decade. Coverage confirmed active works and a 2027 completion goal.
Rotterdam floating neighborhood plan: Designers proposed a 100-plus-home district on pontoons in the Spoorweghaven dock. The concept adds public spaces and green infrastructure, with municipal support to address housing demand. Publication in 2025 details the scheme and next steps.
Oceanix Busan stalls despite big vision: The ambitious floating city project for Busan, co-developed with UN-Habitat and BIG, has reportedly halted. No updates have been posted to Oceanix’s news feed since 2022, and local sentiment—supported by direct exchange with Busan officials and Oceanix leadership—suggests the initiative has been “cancelled or postponed.” Public forums reflect widespread frustration over its disappearance.
Other pilots continue with quieter scope: In the Netherlands, modular floating homes are being tested at smaller scale in ports like the “WoZoCo” project. These focus on senior housing, solar power, and adaptability to floods—without the entire-city ambition.
Experts urge a realistic shift to incremental deployments: Researchers at UN-Habitat and civil engineering institutions say the floating city concept is sound—but needs to be broken into phases. Smaller neighborhoods, testbed utilities, and pilot occupancy can help prove economic and technical feasibility before scaling.
- TFI
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