Japanese construction company Shimizu Corp. is looking to save humanity from rising sea levels by building an underwater city that will house 5,000 people.
The Ocean Spiral project will consist of three sections and will include a floating sphere measuring 500 meters in diameter right below the surface of the sea, according to The Guardian. Business and residential zones, as well as hotels, will be built in the city, and the sphere will connect to a 15 kilometer-long spiral path that reaches the ocean floor 3-4 km beneath the surface.
Scientists will explore this spot to find ways to excavate energy sources from the seabed to support the population.
Assistant Professor Christian Dimmer from Tokyo University said projects like Ocean Spiral have been developed in response to different crises, with past projects including the proposal of underground and "swimming" cities in the '80s.
"It's good that many creative minds are picking their brains as to how to deal with climate change, rising sea levels and the creation of resilient societies- but I hope we don't forget to think about more open and democratic urban futures in which citizens can take an active role in their creation, rather than being mere passengers in a corporation's sealed vision of utopia," Dimmer said.
Shimizu is looking to get experts from Tokyo University, government ministries and energy companies involved in the project and plans to secure funding from the government and private industry to build the city, The Guardian reported.
Officials from the company said it will take about five years and 3tn yen ($25 billion) to build the underwater city, and that the city will be able to support life underwater by 2030.
"This is a real goal, not a pipe dream," said Hideo Imamura, spokesman for Shimizu. "The Astro Boy cartoon character had a mobile phone long before they were actually invented- in the same way, the technology and knowhow we need for this project will become available."
