How Floating Architecture Could Help Save Cities From Rising Seas – NBC News
Floating homes in Amsterdam’s IJBurg neighborhood. Waterstudio.
Article Synopsis – Builders and urban planners around the world are turning to floating and amphibious architecture in the hopes of making individuals, communities, and possibly even cities more resilient to sea level rise. “Some new buildings, including a number of homes in Amsterdam, are designed to float permanently on shorelines and waterways. Others feature special foundations that let them rest on solid ground or float on water when necessary. Projects range from simple retrofits for individual homes in flood zones to the construction of entire floating neighborhoods — and possibly even floating cities”.
My Comment – While it might be possible to maintain 500 or even 5,000 floating homes for the affluent or in a lagoon separate from the ocean, does that constitute a “solution” to sea level rise for the threatened cities? The cost to build, maintain, and bring utilities to floating houses, as well as the potential risks from waves and storm surge, are too great to provide a large-scale solution to rising sea level, given the scale of what lies ahead. To read the actual article click here.