Floating Urban Development—Sustainable Growth and Affordable Housing

Abstract

Driven by population growth and rural migration toward the cities, the demand for affordable housing continues to increase. However, due to the scarcity of urban development space—especially in coastal areas, the supply is limited. As increasing land availability is one of the most effective ways to reduce real estate costs, this interdisciplinary research explores the alternative of urban expansion toward the adjacent marine environment of coastal cities. It focuses on floating residential dwellings from both technological and urban planning perspective, aiming to include the waterfront of coastal cities as viable, sustainable, and affordable alternative for urban development. The research takes on one of the most expensive cities in the world, Tel Aviv-Yafo, as a case study for increasing the supply of affordable housing in addition to vital sustainable future growth in the adjacent marine environment.