What is Dogen City?

Dogen City is a conceptual design for a floating metropolis by Japanese startup N-Ark. The project was announced in 2023 with a target completion date of 2030. It’s an experiment of resilient living in the age of climate change.

Japan is no stranger to natural disasters. It faces a triple threat of rising sea levels, an ageing population, and the ever-present risk of earthquakes and tsunamis. Dogen City addresses these challenges head-on.

The project suggests a scalable model for climate adaptation, designed to rise and fall with the tides. It could become a sanctuary for climate refugees and a blueprint for future floating communities. The city also has a circular design that acts as a protective barrier to shield the inner lagoon from tsunamis and storms.

The outer-rim will house residential areas and public facilities, while the inner bay features modular, mobile buildings that can be reconfigured to meet evolving needs. Dogen City also plans to integrate health into the city’s infrastructure, with residents will wear devices that track their health in real time. There is also plans for data storage, underwater data centres that are naturally cooled by seawater.