Freedom Ship: Difference between revisions
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[[Image:Freedom Ship International logo.jpg|thumb|right|[[Logo]] of Freedom Ship International]] |
[[Image:Freedom Ship International logo.jpg|thumb|right|[[Logo]] of Freedom Ship International]] |
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'''Freedom Ship''' was a [[ocean colonization|floating city]] project initially proposed by Norman Nixon in [[1999]]. It |
'''Freedom Ship''' was a [[ocean colonization|floating city]] project initially proposed by Norman Nixon in [[1999]]. It was so named because of the "free" international lifestyle facilitated by a mobile ocean colony, though the project would not have been a conventional [[ship]], but rather a series of linked [[barge|barges]]. |
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The Freedom Ship project |
The Freedom Ship project envisioned a 1400m-long integrated [[city]] with [[condominium]] housing for 30,000 people, [[duty-free]] shopping and other facilities, large enough to require [[rapid transit]]. The complex would [[circumnavigation|circumnavigate]] the globe continuously, stopping regularly at [[port of call|ports of call]].<ref>{{Cite news |
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| title = Floating City |
| title = Floating City |
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| publisher = [[NPR Weekend Edition]] |
| publisher = [[NPR Weekend Edition]] |
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Revision as of 05:50, 24 May 2008
Freedom Ship was a floating city project initially proposed by Norman Nixon in 1999. It was so named because of the "free" international lifestyle facilitated by a mobile ocean colony, though the project would not have been a conventional ship, but rather a series of linked barges.
The Freedom Ship project envisioned a 1400m-long integrated city with condominium housing for 30,000 people, duty-free shopping and other facilities, large enough to require rapid transit. The complex would circumnavigate the globe continuously, stopping regularly at ports of call.[1]
Technology
Due to the stresses of hogging and sagging, conventional shipbuilding would be inadequate for a floating complex 1400m in length. The developers have stated that they will use a segmented barge-building technique, giving the hull flexibility and allowing incremental expansion.[2]
Similar Projects
Other projects, such as the ResidenSea, have similarly attempted to create mobile communities, though they have conservatively limited themselves to the constraints of conventional shipbuilding. In regards to the economic flexibility and "freedom" created by such mobile settlements, these projects could be considered a realization the avante-garde Walking City concept from 1964, by British architect Ron Herron of the group Archigram.
Criticism
Despite early press coverage on NPR's Weekend Edition and Discovery Channel's Extreme Engineering, the project has seen few recent developments -- Although the initially stated in-service date was to be 2001, as of 2008 construction had not yet begun. This protracted development schedule and dearth of substantive information has led some on the internet to accuse the Freedom Ship of being a scam, as Norman Nixon initially accepted down payments from interested parties. However, this funding is held in escrow, and Nixon has since stopped accepting reservations.[3]
Norman Nixon and his associates are engineers, rather than urban planners or architects, and the abstraction of the structure and simplistic planning of facilities suggests that the project has not been thoroughly designed beyond the basic mechanics of a barge. Further, the social and political structure of the Freedom Ship seems not to have been considered beyond corporate management.[4]
Freedom Ship International initially estimated the net cost for construction to be USD 6 billion in 1999. However, by 2002, estimates had risen to USD 11 billion.[5] The last update to the corporation's website, in 2005, was a press release explaining the difficulty of obtaining financial backing, and as of 2008 Freedom Ship International has not released the names of any major sponsors.[6]
Citations
- ^ "Floating City". NPR Weekend Edition. 13 April 2002.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Freedom Ship - the City at Sea". Freedom Ship International. Retrieved 13 May 2008.
- ^ Friedman, Patri (2001). "Is the Freedom Ship realistic?". Retrieved 13 May 2008.
- ^ Booksmith, Adam (Spring 2002), "Freedom Ship Is Not About Freedom; or, How To Live On A Floating Police State", Offshore Real Estate Quarterly
- ^ "Floating City". NPR Weekend Edition. 13 April 2002.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "News" (Press release). Freedom Ship International. 10 February 2005. Retrieved 13 May 2008.
External links
- Official site of Freedom Ship International
- How Stuff Works - Floating Cities A discussion floating cities using Freedom Ship as its example
- Collected Critical Comments on the Freedom Ship project
- Floating Cities, Islands and States A paper using Freedom Ship as an example and providing technical information