San Diego desperately needs a new airport. It has needed one for years. The existing facility, San Diego International, is crowded onto a puny 675 acre parcel. That’s a lovely size for a horse farm, but it’s infinitesimal for an airport serving a metropolitan area of 3 million people. All of San Diego shares a single runway–the busiest in the country and also one of the most dangerous.
So freaking build a new airport already, you say. To their credit, the fine people of southern Southern California have expressed a desire to do just that. They’ve had commissions and referendums and so forth. But the problem boils down to the fact there’s nowhere to put a new airport, except for a local Marine base. But San Diegans voted overwhelmingly in 2006 not to build an new airport on the Marine land, both because they didn’t want to see the military depart and because of noise concerns. [SButtonZ button="digg"]
In the midst of this pickle, along comes a fellow named Adam Englund. He’s a local lawyer who studied international law at Cambridge and has long nurtured a fascination with the idea of floating cities. He’s got an idea–a $20 billion business plan, even.
It’s so incredibly simple, says Englund. We live next to all this open, watery space. Let’s put the airport… in the ocean.
The airport-in-the-ocean idea is not a new one. Among other places, Hong Kong did it recently–filling in 4 square miles of the South China Sea with rocks and dirt to build an artificial island. By all accounts the resulting facility is lovely. But the Pacific off San Diego is too deep to lend itself to that sort of scheme. So Englund has proposed a solution that’s both more dramatic and elegant: Build a giant oil rig-style floating platform permanently moored 10 or so miles off the coast of San Diego. It would be three square miles and afford plenty of room for two long and very safe runways. To move the plan along he and his partners have even put in a first-of-its-kind claim with federal government for “airport rights” to a 40,000 sq mile swath of the Pacific.
The structure Englund and his 40-strong group of collaborators–”pilots, naval architects, maritime engineers” as well as the standard array of finance types–are proposing is called OceansWorks Offshore Airport. The airport would be located mostly on the roof of the structure though. Below it would be four stories of open real estate open to almost limitless uses. “Hotels, restaurants, conference centers, free trade zones, distribution facilities, research facilities, universities…” Englund says, pauses for a moment, and then ticks off some more possibilities. “Even after all the space required for internal infrastructure, that leaves 200 million square feet. That’s more office space than currently exists in all of San Diego county.” The floating airport would be a city unto itself–a green city, even, as it would harvest energy from wind, waves and ocean currents. A massive on-board desalinization plant would also supply not only OceanWorks’s needs, but pump clean water back to coastal cities, taking some pressure off existing sources like the Colorado River.
Because the platform would be moored in water that’s a thousand feet deep, there wouldn’t be the same environmental concerns that crop up with projects closer to shore, where the ecology is more delicate. If anything, says Englund, OceanWorks would enhance the area environmentally by creating a massive artificial reef. He notes that the Sierra Club has declared “no opposition” to the project–a noteworthy accomplishment for a $20 billion, 2000-acre development in Southern California.
But Englund’s most immediate problem is how to even begin going about applying for permission from the relevant authorities. “There is no legal regime for airports in the ocean,” he tells us. “The Dept of Interior’s Mineral Management service would seem to be the presiding authority.” They’re the same people who hand out oil drilling rights. The Interior Department, however, has not evinced much openness to the Oceanworks plan: they denied the group’s airport rights application without even offering a reason. Oceanworks is now planning to sue in federal court, hoping to establish that there was no legal basis for the denial.
“We’ve gone through economic, environmental and technical preliminary analysis and found no fatal flaws,” Englund says. “So we’re moving into the next stage–figuring out the financing and the politics.” A potential political tailwind is that the project could create tens of thousands of jobs in the region and establish San Diego a global hub for some future industry designing and building floating airports. By any measure, $20 billion is a lot of money, but Englund claims his group isn’t seeking any government funding–all they need from the Washington are airport rights to this swath of ocean.
At the local and state level they need a “coastal partner” — that is, someone who can agree host the shoreside passenger terminal. “We’ve made this claim from Santa Barbara to the Mexican border,” he says. So if San Diego doesn’t step up, the Oceanworks airport could theoretically end up serving greater LA, which is also bumping up against the limits of regional airport capacity.
For transporting passengers, OceanWorks would depend either on an underwater light rail connection–a submerged floating tunnel–or a series of fast ferries running to a string of terminals up and down the coast.
What’s most interesting here though, is the big idea. “Bluefield” development–as Englund calls it–could become standard operating procedure for coastal cities around the world in the next 50 years or so. It may be the only reasonable response to the near impossibility of building megaprojects today in most of North America and Europe. The idea of building an airport and new small city within 10 miles of the Southern California coast for $20 billion (or whatever) is so compelling that it’s hard to imagine it won’t someday become a reality.
Photo of Englund via SignOnSanDiego.com
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So if its going to take 45 mins for a ferry and you are going to be able to see the airport from the shore. Why not go back to that idea of making the Airport in Imperial Valley and adding the HSR from there to San Diego, which could make a couple of stops in east county?
It would probably take 1/2 hour to 45 mins for the ride and would most definitely reduce air traffic by having all the fed ex, ups and usps planes land in the IV airport.
If the Imperial Valley folk don’t mind having a massive airport in their backyard and the cost of the airport would end up costing around 1/10th of what the floating airport would cost then I think it would be a better idea to have an off county airport.
[...] Englund, a local lawyer with a fascination for floating cities, is pushing the $20-billion idea. He proposes that the city build “a giant oil rig-style floating platform permanently moored 10 or so [...]
[...] Via Infrastructurist [...]
Question- how to handle waste water.
Answer- do like the space station, drink it.
There are an infinite number of green solutions to waste water, it is just a question of cost.
A few points:
1) The Big Dig in Boston cost $500B for a bunch of tunnels. Yes, these were complicated and under existing infrastructure. However, even if the tunnels themselves were 1/5 the cost for 3 miles, this project will easily run $250B. Let’s call it for what it will be.
2) Given the likely cost from municipal bonds and federal subsidies, would HSR be a a better solution from a cost standpoint? Seems like a no-brainer – but let’s call it neutral.
3) Would HSR be more efficient environmentally? – i.e. more “fuel” efficient, cleaner regardless of fuel, more people served, better consolidation of infrastructure, less storm water pollution issues, and who knows what kind of seals will be clubbed out there for supposed progress! HSR is the way to go.
4) Remember, the people posing this question are looking to make a buck – as we all are. But just because this is the only proposal coming forward to deal with “transportation” and congestion, there are dozens of other ideas our there for perhaps a fraction of the cost…economically and environmentally…
This is nuts. NUTS. Why does there always need to be some hyper-techonological Jetsons solution to every problem???
I live in San Diego, and San Diegans like their airport right where it is — in the middle of the city. It is SO convenient. Seriously, it’s like a 10 or 15 minute drive from the most populated residential neighborhoods. The 2006 proposal was voted down in part because Miramar is pretty far outside the city.
There’s a lot of land on Coronado Island across the harbor from downtown. Most of it is occupied by a military base also, but it wouldn’t be a bad location for an airport if they could solve the transit problem.
[...] consider the absence of $20 billion a fatal flaw, but the man’s a bigger optimist than I. [ Infrastructurist via Stoke [...]
[...] consider the absence of $20 billion a fatal flaw, but the man’s a bigger optimist than I. [Infrastructurist via Stoke [...]
[...] consider the absence of $20 billion a fatal flaw, but the man’s a bigger optimist than I. [Infrastructurist via Stoke [...]
[...] fuente Compartir Si te gustó este post, agrega tec.nologia a tu lector RSS | 0 comentarios Por tecnologia tec.nologia Tags aeropuertos, aeropuertos flotantes, arquitectura, california, ciudades flotantes, plataformas flotantes, san diego October 27th, 2009 @ 7:56 am [...]
High Speed Rail won’t go to LAX. It goes to Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. And there’s no mass transit from Union Station to LAX. The HSR will go to the LA/Ontario Airport (ONT) though. ONT sounds like it has plenty of room for expansion (3 terminals currently, with 5 planned) and it has a longer runway than LAX, so even the biggest of planes should have no problem. So in under an hour people could go from San Diego to ONT. I’d imagine that will be the most likely scenario after the HSR is completed.
It sounds intriguing at first. I grew up in Orange County, so I’ve only ever driven to San Diego, not flown, so I cannot really say much about the existing airport situation and how much it needs “fixing” but my questions about this whole thing lie elsewhere.
First problem is, if the only way on and off this thing, aside from flying, is to take a ferry or underwater train, then I think someone is drastically overestimating how patient people would be with the idea of adding an extra 30-60 minutes to the process of getting in and out of the airport. ‘Cos you know, that’s all a trip to pick up someone at the airport needs to make it perfect, is a couple of ferry boat rides.
And are these ferry boats or underground rail systems going to be free? ‘Cos having to pay $10-$20 or more to park and then and then another $10-$20 to jump on a train is perhaps the cherry on top of the whole idea of picking up someone or dropping them off.
Where is long-term parking? What about short-term? You know, the terminals and runways are only part of the whole package. If those are going to be nearby on the mainland, you’re still going to need a pretty darn big spot of real estate for it.
Where are the maintenance hangers, cargo loading facilities, etc? Aircraft carriers use elevator platforms to bring aircraft into the body of the ship for maintenance and whatnot, but that part of the equation hasn’t been mentioned here.
Where are the docking facilities for ships? Are small ferry boats the only thing we’re going to allow to tie up?
It’s a pretty picture, but it doesn’t represent a modern functional commercial airport.
Convincing the Navy to give up Coronado Island and building a new facility there seems to me like it’d make a lot more sense. You could connect the existing airport via an underwater rail tube, but it’s only a mile or so instead of 10-12. And there is plenty of space for commercial development like new hotels.
[...] consider the absence of $US20 billion a fatal flaw, but the man’s a bigger optimist than I. [Infrastructurist via Stoke Report] Tagged:adam [...]
[...] Check out this new airport concept to replace the current San Diego International Airport. Designer and wishful thinker Adam Englund has solved the “lack of space” problem but creating an entire floating airport just off the coast of San Diego. The airport would consist of four different levels with over 200 million square feet of space. It’s been suggested that all that extra space would house, restaurants, hotels, shops and possibly even a university. The price-tag on this floating beauty? Only 20 Billion Dollars enough to build the new Bay Bridge three times over. [The Infrastructurist] [...]
But in a country takes years just to expand a roadway, or build a new tower in New York, I have a hard time seeing this ever happening in my lifetime… unfortunately.
Sure. Where do I get on the boat that takes me to the airport? How early do I have to leave home? What fog? How many secuirty checkpoints? The boat is delayed? I am stuck at the airport beacuse of a storm/fog?
Yeah right.
Who said anything about a 45 minute ferry ride? It’s 10 miles, even Amtrak can make that in less than 20 minutes.
Most of the comments are extremely short sighted like “Just build an airport east of the city. They’ve looked at that obviously. Just build a “HSR” to LAX. Who implied the majority of traffic is to LAX? That isn’t the problem with the SAN airport.
Just to build a freeway to the alternate airport would cost 8 billion by the committees own admission. That’s just the cost of the extension of the freeway. How much do you think this HSR would cost?
Just drag it up to shore and dock it and eliminate the transportation to the airport! Are you serious? The noise survey alone would kill it.
Obviously, a lot of thought has gone into the design, placement, and air traffic before publishing this. It’s always interesting how the “stay at home and research it on the computer” experts have a simple solution.
Do you have any idea how stable a platform of this size would be? Waves splashing over the side? What a laugh, it was stated it would be at least 4 stories high. When was the last time San Diego had 40 foot waves. Bragging a bit aren’t we?
To fly off of the most modern airport in the world and experience the technology to make it available, I would easily take a 10 minute ferry, plane, HSR, or any other mode to get there. Let’s keep it alive and see how the politicians kill it.
This could be the “Greenest” place on earth with it’s own power plane, de-desalinization plant and operate on bio fuels. I can’t wait to see it. But then, I have been on HSRs and seen what committees can destroy.
Good luck Adam Englund!
[...] Crazy plan to build a floating airport off the coast of San Diego INFRASTRUCTURIST [...]
Ezra’s right, San Diegans will be able to leverage Ontario airport for flights out of state once the HSR line is built. This floating airport is a solution desperately looking for a problem. I expect someone will eventually talk the US military into having that problem, but it makes no sense for commercial civilian operations.
The poster suggesting the use of the TJ aiport makes a good point. There is some virtually vacant land just north of the border there. Build a new port-of-entry, the necessary parking and roadways, and a bridge from the airport. The cost would be a fraction of the 20B (severe underestimate) they are claiming for the floating airport. TJ has the better piece of real estate in the metro area with relatively lower-cost land around it for expansion.
I also think the potential for HSR to reduce flights at the SD airport is being overlooked. What is going to power those planes when the oil runs out? At least the trains can be powered by electricity from alternative sources to fossil fuels.
For all the people discussing the “45-minute ferry ride”, I suggest re-reading the article. This is never referred to. The article states, “For transporting passengers, OceanWorks would depend either on an underwater light rail connection–a submerged floating tunnel–or a series of fast ferries running to a string of terminals up and down the coast.”
Also, the list of collaborators ”pilots, naval architects, maritime engineers” seems like a good group to ask all of the proposed questions throughout the posts. I would venture to guess that all the problems listed have already been brought up.
I like the HSR system idea. I love the train! Apart from that, I also need to fly further than our local coasts and a HSR system would not be able to accomplish that. The HSR system would hopefully be subsidized and this says that they are not asking for any government funding, so there is no need to put the two against each other for funding.
The article also suggests many environmental pluses to this project and I am extremely interested to see where that side of the proposal takes us. Water is our biggest environmental need. We use too much and don’t have enough. The proposed desalinization plant aboard this structure may in fact help that situation. It seems that this is about more than just an airport; jobs, environment, transportation, etc. I am interested to see where this goes and I would love to take the HSR to the floating airport. LAX is ridiculously overcrowded and I need to get there at least 2 hours early just to park and get through bag check and security. By the way, I don’t think those concerned with the noise would have to worry, since this is supposed to be 10 miles out. I doubt you would ever hear it.
[...] Via Infrastucturist [...]
[...] 6. A (silly?) plan to build a floating airport off the coast of San Diego, at Infrastructurist. [...]
[...] an airport on the ocean? check it out: Crazy Or Brilliant? Plan To Build Giant Floating Airport Off California Coast
[...] an airport on the ocean? check it out: Crazy Or Brilliant? Plan To Build Giant Floating Airport Off California Coast
Dear Sirs!
I invite your attention the patented technology of construction of floating mega structures, using a specially prepared ice surface of rivers, lakes, reservoirs, oceans and seas with the installation of a temporary three-dimensional heat-insulation cover in the form of a structure (The Air-Structures) (www.arizoncompanies.com; http://www.asati.com) or other light structures.
This technology allows to:
1. Build a monolithic floating objects of virtually any size and shape (floating wind turbines, floating islands, hotels, helipads, airfields, floating dry docks, oil-gas platforms, etc.);
2. Build floating objects are not attracting specialized shipbuilding enterprise;
3. Build floating mega-structures in isolated waters (lakes, rivers, ponds.);
4. Build large floating objects for the Navy and NASA (floating dry docks up to a mile, platforms for the launch of space systems, etc.)
Construction of the proposed technology allows to build objects, that can not be another way to build!
Cost of construction on the proposed technology, even standard objects (platforms, pontoons, berthing facilities and so on) in the 4-10 times lower than the cost of their construction in the existing shipyards.
It is not a fantasy (idea) but a reality. On the ice islands produce oil. On the ice build huge structures. But I propose to use an ice islands as a construction site, plus some proprietary know-how Almost all the questions on the construction on ice calculated and thought out.
This technology has some secret know-how, so that it can be successfully applied in the southern latitudes.
[...] (image via: Infrastructurist) [...]
[...] is reported that San Diego, U.S.A and Dutch has plans for constructing their floating [...]
[...] consider the absence of $20 billion a fatal flaw, but the man’s a bigger optimist than I. [Infrastructurist via Stoke [...]
North Island the best and only way to go…
We are all ready in the new Air Buss generation and sooner or latter transcontinental transatlantic Planes will no longer will operate from San Diego International, Lindbergh Field (SAN).
Fifty years ago I lived in the landing patern on 5th Av. and then in 1961/62 movet to top of Point Loma and there where no Jet pasanger or cargo planes (the firstone was the “Comet”. and to day we have the Jumbo 787 two stories and 550 people on board.
This plane neads kind of a 15,000ft to 20,000ft by 300ft wide Run Way to go up safe full of cargo/pasangers and fuel for a long range trip leg.
What is going to be in the next 50 years???… go for it to day, tomorow will be to late and more more more expensive.
San Diego is not any more and every day will no longer be a military station as it used to be, and it will depend on Turists from across the World and the Continent, and this has to be a first isue in the San Diegan agenda.
If there are brains, visionary and futuristic view, concern is to take care of it as soon as 50 years ago… when you where all ready talking about e high speed train and commuter to LA and Frisco Bay, and the only thing you have today i a train museum by Inernational Standards.
Where did San Diego be in the economic mapo in 2050 and 2100, I’ll not see it then, but I don’t have to wait ti’ll then, I know San Diegans will not remmember this day oportunity and will complain of their parents and gran’s for not having the brains and courage for fighting on taking Long Island and some other military field North of the City, since the military have the best lad near to coast line that they do not have to have any more.
MD
Laugh at the adult humans whose minds have been trained to believe that they need another adult human’s permission to do what humans can do.
Start building the airport.
Let somebody arrest you for violating a law, to effect “standing in court”, at the government’s expense and liability to the law.
Ask where the law was published for general public knowledge, and for the verification, under penalty of fraud, that the law is a prevailing law, not contradicted by any superior law, by means of the type worded questions that turn the violation against the government chap who effects the arrest, etceteras.
Or publish a public notice asking for the related prevailing laws, not contradicted by any superior laws, under penalty of fraud.
And as an aside I made three small floating islands, supporting small trees, for goose nesting habitat (BuchananLake.com). The next one will be larger.
The floating airport build with private funding (no tax money) should be actively encouraged for what we humans will therefore learn.
Respectfully, DougBuchanan.com
Instead of building a floating airport, can we just expedite the construction of the high-speed rail line between San Diego and Los Angeles that will connect both cities to San Bernardino International Airport, Ontario International Airport, and, potentially, March Air-Reserve Base. These facilities are underutilized, and they are all desperate for more flights.
San Bernardino International Airport would be 50 minutes from San Diego by high-speed rail.
I would love to see this happen, but alas, this is America..this is too ambitious, too grand, too futuristic, too expensive, too “scary”, too “fancy”. The usual whiners in this country will complain that they will get sea sick…lol. They will say it will sink and what about a hurricane? Nope, won’t happen in this country. We don’t build grand projects in this country anymore. We are too timid to construct something like this. I could see this built in Dubai, Germany or China but not here. I’m thinking about the last time a worlds tallest building was constructed in America..Sears tower 1974. What was the last grand, ultra modern impressive structure built in America?