Amphibious houses and floating cities could protect coastal communities from sea-level rise

Abstract

A new industry of floating infrastructure is emerging to combat the threat of rising sea levels. Amphibious homes can preserve the accessibility of the house and maintain the congenial front porch culture. Modern floating cities are the brainchild of architect Bjarke Ingels, who hopes his Oceanix City will be "the most resilient city you can imagine" The U.N. Human Settlements Programme is working on a prototype that will consist of three 'islands. Each platform costs about $150 million to $200 million. "I'm not scared of failure. But I think we learn. So let's do it," said Maimunah Mohd Sharif, executive director of the U.S. Humansettlements Programme.