Designing the World's First Floating City

For five years, our nonprofit The Seasteading Institutehas been conducting research into the potential for seasteads permanent, innovative communities floating at sea. We are now using the knowledge base within our network to develop an actual floating city, the first of its kind.

Thousands of potential residents have joined our community. Hundreds have filled out our initial survey at floating-city.org. We are developing their input into a plan to fulfill the specific needs and desires of residents and business owners. After the preliminary report is released in 2014, we will facilitate collaboration between potential residents, developers, and investors, to actualize the plan.

Our geopolitical and oceanographic experts are investigating practical locations for a free city at sea. Inhabitants of the city will be seeking to pioneer a new way of life, and experiment with innovative forms of governance. Therefore, we will be making the case to select nations that hosting an autonomous seastead city in their waters would produce significant economic, social, and environmental benefits for their citizens.

The engineering study for which we are raising money will be conducted by our colleagues at DeltaSync, a Dutch multidisciplinary research and water architecture firm. Their famed approach - displayed in projects like the Rotterdam Floating Pavillion employs extreme energy-conserving materials, urban architecture capable of dynamic evolution, as well as food and water solutions that clean the ocean as they nourish aquaponic farms.

This campaign is a part of our broader Floating City Project, which is investigating 1) market demand, 2) optimal locations, and 3) ideal designs for the world's first seastead. Within one year we will produce a white paper with our findings.After the preliminary report is released in 2014, we will facilitate collaboration between potential residents, developers, and investors, to actualize the plan.

The Seasteading Institute is sponsoring DeltaSync with an approximately $40,000 grant so they can apply their innovative design approach to our vision of experimentation in governance. The DeltaSync team brings years of experience in innovative architecture and aquatic urban design to the table, along with a portfolio of world class buildings. When DeltaSync's founders Rutger de Graaf and Katrina Czapiewska put their pens to paper, things get built. This will be an in-depth project by their professional team to design a feasible floating community, which could be constructed within just a few years.

All contributions to this project are tax-deductible for U.S. citizens. We are offering some perks for those who contribute, listed on the right side of this page. As an added incentive, each dollar you give will be matched by the Thiel Foundation, doubling your impact on this important project.

If we meet our campaign goal and raise $20,000, we will be able to completely fund this engineering study with the match. If we exceed our goal, the surplus funds will be used for other key design elements of the Floating City Project.

Most importantly, your contribution brings you into the seasteading community. Becoming a "seasteader" means that you not only yearn for a better future for humanity, but are also willing to put skin in the game to demonstrate what a better future could look like. Giving to this campaign shows that you are above partisan bickering about how government "should be," and are ready to lead by example.

Excerpt from:

Designing the World's First Floating City | Indiegogo