Anicet Mbida 06:53, May 20, 2022

Every day, Anicet Mbida makes us discover an innovation that could well change the way we consume.

This Friday, he is interested in the construction of the first floating city, in South Korea off the coast of Busan.

For years we have imagined living on the water in floating cities.

Projects have multiplied.

Most were aborted.

But this time, there it is.

The construction of the first floating city begins.

It will be in South Korea off Busan.

The coastal city will gain, for the occasion, new districts built on the water, on floating platforms.

They will all be interconnected and each one will receive homes, shops… but also enough to cultivate, produce energy and process waste.

They will therefore be self-sufficient.

The work that is starting is that of a prototype.

That is to say, three districts on three platforms to test construction techniques.

The whole will nevertheless extend over more than 6 hectares (the equivalent of 10 football fields), and it will be able to accommodate up to 12,000 residents.

They must have sea legs!

It might move on floating platforms...

In principle, no.

I asked them the question, they explain that the whole structure will be anchored to the bottom to guarantee its stability.

There will also be a system that breaks the waves, another that gives just enough slack during the tides.

Suddenly, the platforms will go up and down very slowly, and it will remain imperceptible.

In other words, you shouldn't get seasick.

It is a project led by the city of Busan, the United Nations and Oceanix, a specialist in floating architecture.

The construction site will surely be closely followed in coastal cities around the world.

And more particularly in Polynesia and the Maldives.

Two archipelagos that risk being totally submerged due to global warming.

Do we know how long the construction should take?

In theory, less than three years for three first platforms.

But we know all the work… What's more, it's a site where we're going to test a lot of new techniques.

Suffice to say that there is little chance that they will meet the deadlines.

Until now, to fight against the rising waters, we had only a defensive approach (dikes or dams).

It's good to have a creative approach too, building directly on the water.