Read an interesting article by Health Gilmore in the Sun Herald (13 July 2008 edition) about a self-sufficient, floating lily-pad city for 50,000 people, inspired by the giant Amazonian Victoria Regia lily pad. The city is Belgian architect Vincent Callabaut's response to the global problem of rising sea levels, predicted to rise by about 10cm by 2100 and to swamp several small islands, ultimately leaving entire populations without homes. Mr Callabaut's computer generated design is of an amphibious city without any roads or any cars... Each city has a lake at its centre to collect fresh water and uses solar, wind and wave power to create energy... The cities even have mountains to give the residents a change of scenery as they float around the world's oceans.
This is a watershed Waterworld moment to be sure, albeit this is design is far more attractive than any of the industrial pontoon or tanker cities we saw in the movie.
water cities - for the very wealthy only.
ReplyDeleteDesigner seemed to forget populations threatened by sea rise will be:
- affected by salt table rise (and its effects on food production), not drowning
- in the poorest countries, so very numerous
- in very high density places, so a large boat like this will be insufficient in cost per person.
- analphabetic and agricultural (what will they do in citylike environments - even if floating - as a living?)