Japanese firm proposes $26 billion underwater city
Digital Reporter
Tuesday, November 25, 2014, 3:47 PM - Japanese firm Shimizu Corp. has pitched the idea of a $26 billion underwater housing unit that can hold up to 5,000 people.
The underwater city will be contained inside a giant sphere and house developments where residents can live, work and spend their leisure time.
The city will float at the surface of the water but residents will be able to travel down a 14-kilometre spiral path when bad weather hits.
The spiral path will be connected to a research facility that will scour the seabed for precious metals and use the ocean's temperature to create energy for the city. The facility may also use microorganisims in the sea to create additional energy.
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Shimizu is determined to make their city a reality.
“This is a real goal, not a pipe dream,” spokesperson Hideo Imamura told the Guardian. “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.”
Some websites have pointed out that the project -- dubbed the "Ocean Spiral" could provide a viable solution to land that is steadily being lost to rising water levels.
Shimizu says that if the project gets the green light, the city could be in place by 2030.