A Suburb In The Clouds

We have heard a lot about the city in the cloud over the last years — a term that is used to define the digitalization of cities. In New York’s latest suburb there might emerge a real city in the cloud. Why paying enormous amounts of money for the limited space available on earth, if living in the air is way more relaxed? Designer Tiago Barros came up with a concept for a future city in the clouds, reports Atlantic Cities.

The idea of this Passing Cloud concept is to create an alternative way of experiencing time and space and creating a new urban lifestyle. Suburbia has always been promoted by the same stories about its qualities: “surounded by rest, peace and clean air, and located far away from the bustle of the urban centre”. Passing Cloud is a new chapter, envisioning a new kind of suburb.

“This project envisions a distinct approach towards moving around the United States being also a revival of the act of traveling. Why traveling at high speed? Why having the final destiny always defined? And why always departing and arriving on a tight schedule? Nowadays, everything is set and everyone is always running around. It is time to reconsider the act of traveling and start enjoying it accordingly.”

The Passing Cloud could be such an easy going and relaxed environment, that has no direction or whatsoever and no connection with business on earth. On his website Barros explains how the whole concept and technical construction should work.

“The Passing Cloud is an innovative and environmentally friendly method of transportation that doesn’t require expensive steel tracks or concrete highways. It is made of a series of spherical balloons that form the shape of a cloud. Its inner stainless steel structure is covered with heavy weight tensile nylon fabric. During the journey, It moves according to prevailing winds speed and direction at the time of travel. Since it moves with the wind, no wind is ever felt during the trip, offering the passengers a full ‘floating sensation’.”

Obviously this plan will not be ready next week, but the conditions to build floating urban structures in the air might be seriously interesting. Houses and even complete neighborhoods floating on water seem to be already close to business as usual, while living on the Moon is being explored heavily. Why not live floating in the air?