Floating urban development: Dutch expertise contributes to climate-resilient coastal cities

Many of the world’s fastest-growing cities are located along coastlines and river deltas. Economic opportunities, access to global trade and attractive waterfronts continue to draw people and investment, even as climate risks intensify. For city authorities, this creates a persistent dilemma: how to accommodate growth while reducing exposure to flooding, heat stress and sea-level rise. These challenges are shaping planning decisions, infrastructure investments and political debate in cities where water is both an asset and a threat.

Against this backdrop, floating urban development is gaining attention as a serious adaptation strategy. Dutch engineering companies such as Blue21 and its Square Floating City spin-off are at the forefront of this shift. They work with cities worldwide to explore how modular floating houses, buildings, and even neighbourhoods can become part of climate adaptation and urban development strategies. In parallel, the Dutch Floating Future research project supports the development of floating cities with interdisciplinary research into governance, ecology, technology and societal acceptance.

Modular floating neighbourhoods at scale

Blue21 has played a pioneering role in translating floating constructions in experimental projects into practical applications. Building on this experience, the company started a new entity, Square Floating City, that focuses on large-scale floating urban development. Rather than concentrating on individual buildings, its approach centres on complete floating neighbourhoods and districts that can function as coherent parts of a city.

The approach centres around modularity and scalability. Floating neighbourhoods are composed of standardised modules that can be combined and expanded over time. They range from small clusters to full districts. The modular approach allows cities to phase development, adapt to changing demand and reduce long-term risks in uncertain climate conditions.

The floating modules’ design is informed by local physical conditions such as wave climate, water depth, tidal range and wind exposure. Mooring systems, structural stability and utility connections are tailored to these site-specific parameters. These parameters form the technical framework within which floating neighbourhoods can be designed in line with different local conditions.

Flexibility as a planning asset

Beyond climate adaptation, floating urbanism introduces a new degree of flexibility in urban planning and development. Floating modules move with water levels, allowing them to cope with sea-level rise without constant physical adjustment. In addition, their mobility offers cities strategic options: modules can be constructed at dedicated locations and later transported to their final destination or relocated as urban needs evolve.

This flexibility challenges conventional planning logistics based on permanent land use. For cities facing long-term uncertainty, floating development can reduce lock-in effects and support adaptive pathways, making it easier to respond to future environmental, economic or demographic change.

Building the knowledge base

As floating development becomes larger in scale, the need for robust, independent knowledge becomes increasingly important. The Floating Future research project was initiated to better understand the opportunities and limitations of large-scale floating cities and infrastructure. 

Supported by a broad consortium of public and private partners, the project combines interdisciplinary research with real-world case studies. Researchers from fields ranging from social sciences and governance to ecology, technology and coastal safety work together to address questions on societal acceptance, legal frameworks, environmental impact and technical performance. Through participatory action research, stakeholders are actively involved, supporting the project to move from proof of concept towards proof of scale.

Dutch expertise applied internationally

The work of Square Floating City and Floating Future builds on a longer Dutch tradition of integrated water management in which urban design and water governance develop together. Around the world, Dutch-led project teams collaborate closely with local authorities, designers and communities to adapt floating concepts to local regulations, environmental conditions and social priorities. This context-specific approach recognises that floating urban development is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but a flexible framework that must be tailored to each city’s physical and institutional context.

A growing place in the urban water toolbox

Floating urban development is increasingly being recognised as a valuable addition to the urban water management toolbox for coastal cities facing space constraints and climate uncertainty. When carefully planned and embedded in broader strategies, floating neighbourhoods can offer flexible and resilient opportunities for living with water.

For the international water community, these developments underline the importance of collaboration between cities, researchers and the private sector. By combining Dutch water expertise with local knowledge and international research, cities worldwide can explore adaptive pathways that respond to climate challenges while maintaining liveable, attractive urban environments.

Note: This article is partially based on the Netherlands Water Partnership article ‘Blue21 and Square Floating City: scaling up floating urban development for coastal resilience’.