BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA — The U.N. recently signed a deal with the Korean port city of Busan to build the world’s first floating city on Busan’s coastline. Here are the details: <br /> <br /> <br />Business Insider reports that a historic deal was signed on Thursday, November 18 to build the world’s first ever floating city on the coast of South Korea. <br /> <br /> <br />The South Korean city of Busan agreed to host such a floating city with the backing of the UN Human Settlement Program and Oceanix, the company that designed the floating city. <br /> <br /> <br />Like many coastal cities, Busan is threatened by rising sea levels, and the floating city is designed to help such cities to expand onto the sea. <br /> <br /> <br />The city will be based on a collection of hexagonal platforms that float on the water. <br /> <br /> <br />These platforms will be strengthened by a limestone coating that’s more than twice as hard as concrete while also being buoyant. <br /> <br /> <br />The city is designed to survive Category 5 hurricanes. <br /> <br /> <br />It would also be flood proof as it is designed to rise with the sea. The floating city would produce its own food, energy and freshwater. <br /> <br /> <br />Cages underneath the platforms could be used to house scallops, kelp or other forms of seafood, while aquaponic systems could use waste from fish to fertilize plants. <br /> <br /> <br />The next step will be for Oceanix and the UN to work with Busan’s officials to fine-tune the final design of the floating habitat. <br /> <br /> <br />Oceanix says the whole process would take a total of three years, so it expects to see the prototype in the water by 2025. <br /> <br /> <br />
