on Jan 30th, 2008Dutch to Build Island in the Shape of a Tulip
The Dutch, those relentlessly punctual, get-stuff-done kind of people are planning to build a 50 kilometer long island in the shape of a tulip off the coast of their country. From the article:
[The Dutch] now the world leaders in land reclamation are considering an island in the shape of a tulip to fight overcrowding and shield the coastline from the rising sea.
Supporters of the scheme say it will give Dutch companies a chance to showcase water management skills that are increasingly in demand due to global warming… high land prices threaten the country’s position as one of the world’s exporter of agricultural products, and make a 100,000 hectare, or 247,000 acre, island potentially worth €10 billion, or $14.69 billion - enough of a return to fund the project.
The Netherlands has 395 people per square kilometer, making it the country with the 15th highest population density in the world. For comparison, the population density of the United States is 31 people per square kilometer.
[Click here for Dutch plan to build a new island at the International Herald Tribune]
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Story via neatorama
Header photograph by chaosinjune