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Cities at Sea

An artist’s design shows how French Polynesia’s floating city will look. THE SEASTEADING INSTITUTE AND GABRIEL SCHEARE, LUKE & LOURDES CROWLEY, AND PATRICK WHITE (ROARK 3D)

People are building a new kind of city. This type of city will not be on land. It will float in the ocean.

The first floating city will be in French Polynesia. That’s an island in the South Pacific Ocean. Construction begins soon. Builders hope to finish much of it by 2020.

This floating city will be near the country’s shore. Its people will live by the laws law pw law BLEND IMAGES - SOLLINA IMAGES/GETTY a rule made by the government of a country, state, city, etc. (noun) There is a law banning texting while driving. of French Polynesia. Other floating cities might be built in the open ocean. These cities could create their own laws.

French Polynesia’s floating city will be good for the environment. It will be powered by energy from the sun. People will drink recycled rain and seawater.

Floating cities will be safe from flooding flood flood CHIP SOMODEVILLA/GETTY IMAGES a large amount of water covering an area that is usually dry (noun) The house was built on stilts to protect it from floods in the rainy season. . Built on platforms platform JACOBS STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY LTD/GETTY a raised flat surface that supports something or someone, like a stage (noun) A comedian stood on the platform and told jokes. , they will rise with the sea level. They could be moved, if needed. They would allow more people to live near the ocean.

The first floating city will start out the size of a soccer field. It will grow to contain homes, parks, schools, shops, and restaurants. Would you like to live in a floating city?