Patri Friedman on floating cities (Interview on BBC’s One Planet, April 29, 2011)
October 18, 2012 by Eric Jacobus
[Patri’s contribution starts 11 minutes into the show. Download the .mp3 file here.]
Some 70 percent of the world’s surface area is covered by water – so it’s no surprise that architects and urban planners are looking down from their high rise towers and considering new horizons to build on: namely the world’s vast oceans.
On this week’s One Planet, Richard heads to the Hague in Holland to look around a building site, one that’s going to be deliberately flooded allowing a community of 600 homes to rise to the top of the flood waters. Dutch architect Koen Olthuis, a specialist in floating buildings, outlines his vision for the community and explains why – as more people go urban – the pressure on our cities means it’s a logical step to take to the water.
Also in the show we visit a floating home – now built and occupied – that sits in the waterways of Amsterdam. Take a look at our Flickr album to see pictures of the water house, the link’s below.
Plus, we hear from Patri Friedman, the head of the Seasteading Institute – an organisation promoting the construction of entirely new sovereign states on the open sea that will allow alternative types of government to be tested and developed.
As ever, tune in, have a listen and let us know what you think. Email the team at oneplanet@bbc.com, or join us on our Facebook page, the link’s below.
©2012 The Seasteading Institute
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