Must see: Can a floating city offset urban population growth in China?

As China faces large urban populations and the need for new living solutions, a new idea has been floated—literally. AT Design Office has proposed a design for a floating city, which was commissioned by the China Communications Construction Company.

To create the new city, a 10-square kilometer island would be made out of prefab blocks. The same type of blocks are currently being used by CCCC to build a bridge between Hong Kong and Macau. In theory, the new floating city would have all the features of a normal city.

“People won’t need to commute for jobs on land,” Anthony Phan, an architect at AT Design Office, told Fast Company. “Work, apartments, entertainment and parks are all provided in the floating island.”

Green spaces surround the island above and below the water; the two layers are connected by vertical gardens. These gardens will be a place to board submarines to get from block to block in the city, and tunnels will connect buildings with pedestrian paths and roads for electric cars.

AT's design suggests that the island's self-sufficiency will be possible due to tidal energy (which will be used for power), and farms on its edges will provide food for residents. Not only that, the island is set to have its own factory to produce hyper-local goods.

The island, in theory, will rise as the sea level rises with climate change. Some of the components are set to be tested as soon as next year.

Check out the futuristic design below. All renderings courtesy of AT Design Office.

Boyd R. Zoccola is Chair and Chief Elected Officer of BOMA International. A BOMA member since 1994, he has served on the Executive, Finance, Investment, and Medical/Healthcare Facilities Committees. An Indiana Real Estate Principal Broker and a board member of the Real Estate Round Table, he is Executive Vice President of Hokanson Companies, Inc., of Indianapolis, and has been involved in the development of $600 million worth of real estate. On a volunteer basis, Zoccola was president of Horizon House and a board member of Girls, Inc. He holds a BA in biology from Indiana University.