Floating Cities

The technicalities of a floating home in sheltered waters isn't difficult at all. The boat shown in the picture (which is in Haarlem, not Amsterdam) is around 100 years old. Concrete hulls from the 1930's are still in use, floating without any maintenance at all.
Flexible power, water, gas, data, and sewer connections are all well established and standard now.
Cost wise, a floating home costs no more than a land based one to build, often even less; they can be built and fitted at a workspace and then floated into the residential area after completion. That lowers costs. A hull costs no more (often less) than a solid foundation on land, and is far simpler in engineering terms. There are no issues of subsidence or seismic movements.
However, when it comes to the legalities, there are problems. A home needs to be financed, and it needs permanent rights. Ownership of the space.
Water (in cities) is usually public space, and there is no mechanism to buy, own, or obtain a mortgage for a section of water.
Canal systems in the netherlands have highly controlled stable water levels, only rising or falling by a few inches unless there is some particular extreme event (drought or flood).
There are some residual cultural issues as well, house owners often object to floating homes or boats being moored in their line of sight.

By mark Holden from Algarve on 15 Nov 2025, 13:31