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World’s First Floating City To Emerge In The Pacific Ocean By 2020, And Here’s How The Life Will Look On It
The concept of floating cities may sound like something from a science fiction novel, but it could become a reality by 2020. Seasteading Institute, a San Francisco-based nonprofit has been developing this idea since the foundation of the organization in 2008, and it has reached an agreement with the government of French Polynesia to begin testing in its waters.
“If you could have a floating city, it would essentially be a start-up country,” Joe Quirk, the president of the Seasteading Institute told the New York Times. “We can create a huge diversity of governments for a huge diversity of people.”
The community in question should consist of about a dozen structures, including homes, hotels, offices, and restaurants. Engineers and architects have already visited an undisclosed location where the project should emerge. The main aim of the idea is to “liberate humanity from politicians” and “rewrite the rules that govern society”.
Quirk claimed that building this utopian offshore will cost about $167 million. The Seasteading Institute has already received seed funding from PayPal founder Peter Thiel, however for the next phase of the project the institute hopes to hold an “initial coin offering,” a crowdfunding campaign which raises money by creating and selling virtual currency.
More info: seasteading.org (h/t thenewyorktimes)
RELATED:
Floating cities are no longer science fiction
Seasteading Institute, a San Francisco-based nonprofit has been developing this idea since the foundation of the organization in 2008
It has reached an agreement with the government of French Polynesia to begin testing in its waters
“If you could have a floating city, it would essentially be a start-up country”
“We can create a huge diversity of governments for a huge diversity of people”
The community in question should consist of about a dozen structures, including homes, hotels, offices, and restaurants
Engineers and architects have already visited an undisclosed location where the project should emerge
The main aim of the idea is to “liberate humanity from politicians” and “rewrite the rules that govern society”
Building this utopian offshore will cost about $167 million
Watch the video below for more information
What do you think ?
Mark Fergel 8 years ago
By utopia they mean "A place for rich people where laws are outside the jurisdiction of government."
Ryan W. 8 years ago
Will cost about $167 MILL - I call b******t right there. That may be the price of one building alone.
Misterscooter 8 years ago
Seriously. A floating city will cost significantly less than a stadium?
Load More Replies...
Gayle Bynum Cardosa 8 years ago
Wouldn't it be easier to ship ALL of our politicians off to a remote island somewhere? 😏
Katinka Min 8 years ago
I wonder what they do with their rubbish. Probably toss it into the ocean amidst the gigantic amounts of plastic already in there.
brandon sat 8 years ago
this sounds all good and fun until the first tsunami/hurricane/typhoon comes through..then what?
BREAK YOUr perceptions 8 years ago
idk who downvoted you but i agree. this sounds dangerous come the first natural disaster.
Load More Replies...
simon webb 8 years ago
If it's built and run by people, it will struggle with the same problems all human societies have. Some will rise to power, greed and selfishness will be present in all in some shape or fashion, and there will always be haves and have nots. Even amongst the extremely wealthy. You can't escape internal flaws.
Harshal Bhavsar 8 years ago
It's will need a lot of money it's almost impossible to float a city it may distroy by a many disaster so it's useless
Lu 8 years ago
Liberation has to be self-liberation...even if we run off into space, unknowingly we're still connected to others whether we like it or not!
Load More Replies...
Eric Royer 8 years ago
While I applaud the Utopian vision, it will be very hard to implement in practice. from a practical standpoint, I look at that spiderweb of floating piers, and all I see is a bunch of differential torsion from wind loads on the buildings. Also, how is the breakwater kept equidistant from the structure?
chris toepfer 8 years ago
Looks great....where does all the human waste go? Are there going to be toilets or just a hole in the floor?
Maria L 8 years ago
Well, now we can have the Amazonia country of only women, finally do things right!
Kevin Camp 8 years ago
Figure it being much more like $167 trillion to construct, and the concept of a diverse community is also laughable. It will be a wealthy persons getaway/resort and run accordingly.
Jonathan Parkin 8 years ago
Didn't they make a video game about something like this? It was called bioshock... how'd it work out for everyone, by the way?
Melody Lanzatella 8 years ago
Ahem...Do you think they will protect THEIR borders?? Or can ya just, canoe out there and live ya think??? What?! IMMIGRATION LAWS?!?! PREPOSTEROUS!!!
Ingrid Tsai 8 years ago
But won't someone accidentally fall and die or like it might be easier to commit suicide
Daria B 8 years ago
Maybe swimming will be mandatory in elementary schools.
Load More Replies...
Greg Hoggarth 8 years ago
I suspect the $167m price tag is for their experiment, which they hope to complete by 2020. The pictured city would likely cost at least $16.7 billion and would take longer than 2 years to build...
Lu 8 years ago
I don't think they understand fundamental human psychology. Social groups will always have some form of governance - you might think you're rebooting society but really you're just dreaming. Gotta work with human nature, warts and all!
Daria B 8 years ago
Human nature includes empathy and compassion too, though. Selfishness is for self protection, there's no need for it if you don't feel threatened.
Load More Replies... Misterscooter 8 years ago
I want to see it built if only so I can see what happens when the first serious hurricane/typhoon hits it.
Carlin Scott 8 years ago
First law: no tax or reporting of foreign earned income. Second law: start filming "3%" season 2.
Claude Raymond 8 years ago
The perfect place for Democrats to Wash Their Illegal Gain Money and build by slave children judging by the cost there are proposing...How many Billionaires on the Planet so far? To many selfish if you ask me...to cheap to save the one in need...that would be to easy and not as fun as looking at them sufforing and begging to survive...that's right, don't share your fortune that you so call work so hard to gain as there is such a thing as working harder than the one serving you.
Rob Chapman 8 years ago
Hmmm, a floating city created by a San Francisco startup. So, it's be an ultra liberal safe space sanctuary city state where a bunch of snotty Millennial techies pat each other on the back while smoking pot, drinking Peet's coffee, eating $15 bagels and complaining on twitter that someone offended them?
Joe Dad 8 years ago
Yeah, why not? I mean, Obama was a pot smoker and he became President. And now a twitter junkie that acts like a 12 year old is our President! So anything is possible!!
Load More Replies...
Israel Martinez 8 years ago
All I need to see was Peter Thiel's name to know it was going to get a "NO" from me ... and NO, it's not because he's gay ...
Full Name 8 years ago
According to Business Insider, earlier this year Peter Thiel said it's not practicable to build one of these despite his giving of the money earlier. Still, I didn't know Peter was so into irony. He hates government so much that he wants to live in a commune? Guess what type of -ism a commune operates in? What could possibly go wrong?
Grazina Strolia 8 years ago
That design has one HUGE flaw: traffic congestion. To get anywhere, you'll have to go through the middle. There's no ring road. And if you want to say that, well, you can just hop in a boat to go around, consider how much higher the price of gasoline and other necessities is on Hawaii due to shipping costs.
Gayle Bynum Cardosa 8 years ago
Right. Just another way for pollution to spread. This is not happening. It's someone's fantasy and if it ever comes to fruition it'll be long after I'm dead and I promise it won't be autonomous.
Laszlo Kobaszlo 8 years ago
I bet rich people love to look at the wall instead of a horizon?? Imagine sun set...
Full Name 8 years ago
“liberate humanity from politicians” and “rewrite the rules that govern society” ........so you want to make rules to get rid of the people who make the rules? Who makes those rules? And I'm pretty sure you still have people playing politics if they are supposed to write rules that govern society. By definition in fact. Have fun on your commune!
Mark Fergel 8 years ago
By utopia they mean "A place for rich people where laws are outside the jurisdiction of government."
Ryan W. 8 years ago
Will cost about $167 MILL - I call b******t right there. That may be the price of one building alone.
Misterscooter 8 years ago
Seriously. A floating city will cost significantly less than a stadium?
Load More Replies... Gayle Bynum Cardosa 8 years ago
Wouldn't it be easier to ship ALL of our politicians off to a remote island somewhere? 😏
Katinka Min 8 years ago
I wonder what they do with their rubbish. Probably toss it into the ocean amidst the gigantic amounts of plastic already in there.
brandon sat 8 years ago
this sounds all good and fun until the first tsunami/hurricane/typhoon comes through..then what?
BREAK YOUr perceptions 8 years ago
idk who downvoted you but i agree. this sounds dangerous come the first natural disaster.
Load More Replies... simon webb 8 years ago
If it's built and run by people, it will struggle with the same problems all human societies have. Some will rise to power, greed and selfishness will be present in all in some shape or fashion, and there will always be haves and have nots. Even amongst the extremely wealthy. You can't escape internal flaws.
Harshal Bhavsar 8 years ago
It's will need a lot of money it's almost impossible to float a city it may distroy by a many disaster so it's useless
Lu 8 years ago
Liberation has to be self-liberation...even if we run off into space, unknowingly we're still connected to others whether we like it or not!
Load More Replies... Eric Royer 8 years ago
While I applaud the Utopian vision, it will be very hard to implement in practice. from a practical standpoint, I look at that spiderweb of floating piers, and all I see is a bunch of differential torsion from wind loads on the buildings. Also, how is the breakwater kept equidistant from the structure?
chris toepfer 8 years ago
Looks great....where does all the human waste go? Are there going to be toilets or just a hole in the floor?
Maria L 8 years ago
Well, now we can have the Amazonia country of only women, finally do things right!
Kevin Camp 8 years ago
Figure it being much more like $167 trillion to construct, and the concept of a diverse community is also laughable. It will be a wealthy persons getaway/resort and run accordingly.
Jonathan Parkin 8 years ago
Didn't they make a video game about something like this? It was called bioshock... how'd it work out for everyone, by the way?
Melody Lanzatella 8 years ago
Ahem...Do you think they will protect THEIR borders?? Or can ya just, canoe out there and live ya think??? What?! IMMIGRATION LAWS?!?! PREPOSTEROUS!!!
Ingrid Tsai 8 years ago
But won't someone accidentally fall and die or like it might be easier to commit suicide
Daria B 8 years ago
Maybe swimming will be mandatory in elementary schools.
Load More Replies... Greg Hoggarth 8 years ago
I suspect the $167m price tag is for their experiment, which they hope to complete by 2020. The pictured city would likely cost at least $16.7 billion and would take longer than 2 years to build...
Lu 8 years ago
I don't think they understand fundamental human psychology. Social groups will always have some form of governance - you might think you're rebooting society but really you're just dreaming. Gotta work with human nature, warts and all!
Daria B 8 years ago
Human nature includes empathy and compassion too, though. Selfishness is for self protection, there's no need for it if you don't feel threatened.
Load More Replies... Misterscooter 8 years ago
I want to see it built if only so I can see what happens when the first serious hurricane/typhoon hits it.
Carlin Scott 8 years ago
First law: no tax or reporting of foreign earned income. Second law: start filming "3%" season 2.
Claude Raymond 8 years ago
The perfect place for Democrats to Wash Their Illegal Gain Money and build by slave children judging by the cost there are proposing...How many Billionaires on the Planet so far? To many selfish if you ask me...to cheap to save the one in need...that would be to easy and not as fun as looking at them sufforing and begging to survive...that's right, don't share your fortune that you so call work so hard to gain as there is such a thing as working harder than the one serving you.
Rob Chapman 8 years ago
Hmmm, a floating city created by a San Francisco startup. So, it's be an ultra liberal safe space sanctuary city state where a bunch of snotty Millennial techies pat each other on the back while smoking pot, drinking Peet's coffee, eating $15 bagels and complaining on twitter that someone offended them?
Joe Dad 8 years ago
Yeah, why not? I mean, Obama was a pot smoker and he became President. And now a twitter junkie that acts like a 12 year old is our President! So anything is possible!!
Load More Replies... Israel Martinez 8 years ago
All I need to see was Peter Thiel's name to know it was going to get a "NO" from me ... and NO, it's not because he's gay ...
Full Name 8 years ago
According to Business Insider, earlier this year Peter Thiel said it's not practicable to build one of these despite his giving of the money earlier. Still, I didn't know Peter was so into irony. He hates government so much that he wants to live in a commune? Guess what type of -ism a commune operates in? What could possibly go wrong?
Grazina Strolia 8 years ago
That design has one HUGE flaw: traffic congestion. To get anywhere, you'll have to go through the middle. There's no ring road. And if you want to say that, well, you can just hop in a boat to go around, consider how much higher the price of gasoline and other necessities is on Hawaii due to shipping costs.
Gayle Bynum Cardosa 8 years ago
Right. Just another way for pollution to spread. This is not happening. It's someone's fantasy and if it ever comes to fruition it'll be long after I'm dead and I promise it won't be autonomous.
Laszlo Kobaszlo 8 years ago
I bet rich people love to look at the wall instead of a horizon?? Imagine sun set...
Full Name 8 years ago
“liberate humanity from politicians” and “rewrite the rules that govern society” ........so you want to make rules to get rid of the people who make the rules? Who makes those rules? And I'm pretty sure you still have people playing politics if they are supposed to write rules that govern society. By definition in fact. Have fun on your commune!
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