As sea levels rise due to climate change, coastal cities face unprecedented threats. Enter OCEANIX Busan, the groundbreaking prototype for a futuristic floating settlement off the coast of Busan, South Korea. Designed as a resilient, sustainable community on water, this innovative project aims to house up to 12,000 residents (potentially scaling to 100,000) while adapting to flooding and extreme weather.
What Is OCEANIX Busan?
OCEANIX Busan is the world’s first prototype sustainable floating city, developed through a partnership between:
- OCEANIX (a blue tech company specializing in floating infrastructure)
- UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme)
- Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and SAMOO Architects
- The Busan Metropolitan City government
The settlement features interconnected hexagonal floating platforms covering about 6.3 hectares (15.5 acres). Each platform serves specific purposes: living, research, and lodging, with mixed-use buildings, public spaces, and terraces for indoor-outdoor living.
Key design highlights:
- Modular and scalable: Platforms can expand organically as needed.
- Flood-proof and resilient: Built to withstand Category 5 hurricanes, tsunamis, and rising seas.
- Connected to land: Via link-span bridges framing a sheltered “blue lagoon” for recreation and art.
Sustainable Features: Living in Harmony with the Ocean
OCEANIX Busan prioritizes zero-waste and self-sufficiency with six integrated systems:
- Energy: Photovoltaic panels and renewable sources for full independence.
- Food: Underwater and onshore farming, aeroponics, and aquaponics.
- Water: Closed-loop systems for recycling and desalination.
- Waste: Converted to energy and resources.
- Mobility: Electric vehicles and water-based transport.
- Habitat regeneration: Nature-based solutions to restore coastal ecosystems.
The platforms use buoyant materials like reinforced concrete with special coatings that strengthen over time, ensuring long-term stability.
Project Status and Timeline
Unveiled in 2022 at the UN, construction was originally targeted for 2025 completion. As of late 2025, the project remains in advanced planning and development phases, focusing on permits, feasibility, and technology testing. It’s a living lab for data collection on livability and scalability, with potential to inspire similar settlements worldwide.
Why Floating Cities Are the Future
With 90% of megacities vulnerable to sea-level rise, projects like OCEANIX Busan offer a bold solution: expanding onto the ocean sustainably instead of retreating from it. Other concepts (like Maldives Floating City or Dogen City) exist, but Busan leads as the most advanced prototype.
This futuristic floating settlement isn’t just sci-fi it’s a practical response to climate challenges, blending innovation, ecology, and urban living on water.
