The next Silicon Valley might be at sea.
A plan to build self-sustaining, floating cities is beginning to take shape after the Seasteading Institute held an architectural design competition for its pilot project near Tahiti.
Created by political economy theorist Patri Friedman and Paypal co-founder Peter Thiel, the Seasteading Institute wants to create “startup countries” on the ocean, or “seasteads,” that are free from government regulation in science, technology, and politics. According to its website, these islands of innovation would allow to for a society to experiment with unconventional forms of institutions.
The French Polynesia government has approved the “Floating City Project,” a pilot city in a lagoon close to Tahiti. It will hold as many as 300 people and construction could begin as early as 2018. According to Dezeen, the Seasteading Institute will use technology developed by DeltaSync, a Dutch engineering firm.
The Floating City Project will consist of a modular network of geometric reinforced concrete platforms, which can be reconfigured as needed. According to Dezeen, the platforms have a century-long shelf life while supporting buildings as tall as three-stories in the water.
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