FLOATING FUTURES

After centuries of reshaping the land, the Dutch are embracing the philosophy of meebewegen — learning to live with water rather than against it. Will graceful, sustainable floating neighbourhoods offer a way forward as the sea continues to rise?

EUROPE | NETHERLANDS | ENVIRONMENT | ECONOMY

Amsterdam (Netherlands), the IJburg floating house district: over 10,000 square metres with 158 floating homes complete with bridges, roads and boat moorings, making it the largest floating district in Europe. IJburg extends over a series of artificial islands in Lake IJmeer, separated from IJburg by a lock that makes the surrounding area a sort of indoor swimming pool with clean water.

A quarter of the Netherlands lies below sea level, and two-thirds of the country is at risk of flooding. The nation has always been, in many ways, an artificial one—built on controlling nature through a sophisticated system of dikes, levees, barriers, and continuous land reclamation. Global warming has set a new challenge: within a few years, rising seas could submerge parts of the Netherlands, and simply raising the dikes will no longer suffice. Experts warn that mastering water’s whims is an illusion. The answer, they say, lies in a shift of mindset — the philosophy of meebewegen: not fighting against water, but learning to live with it. One path forward may lie in building entire neighborhoods of floating homes. Not the old houseboats—those retrofitted cargo vessels moored along Amsterdam’s canals—but real houses: stylish and modern, designed by architects with an eye for comfort and sustainability. These are part of deliberate urban plans, complete with solar panels, heat pumps, rooftop gardens, and advanced sewage systems. Some already exist, such as the floating districts of Schoonschip and IJburg on Amsterdam’s outskirts—where, in just a few years, property values have nearly doubled.

The Netherlands spends the equivalent of three percent of its GDP each year on strict water-management policies. Yet with the mounting risks of climate change—hurricanes, floods, droughts, and coastal erosion, all set to grow more severe—rethinking humanity’s relationship with water as one of collaboration rather than combat is becoming essential. Floating housing developments could help ease the country’s acute shortage of buildable land, while also freeing up more terrain to serve as designated overflow basins for controlled flooding. Just a few kilometers from The Hague, coastal erosion has for years been tackled through the Zandotor project: a vast man-made peninsula of 21.5 million cubic meters of sand, left to spread naturally under the influence of wind, tides, and ocean currents. In short, is the Netherlands’ future now bound to coexistence with the forces of nature—water above all? Skepticism remains, with cultural habits and bureaucratic inertia standing in the way. Yet as researcher Caroline M. Kraan writes, ‘in the Netherlands there is a growing awareness that not all climate impacts can be prevented, nor all risks calculated. And there are limits to the control that can be exerted over the environment…’

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Amsterdam (Netherlands), Philip van der Wees, physical therapist and Professor of Allied Health Sciences at Radboudumc (Nimega), looks out of his window at the canal in the floating neighbourhood of Schoonschip, where he lives with his family. Completed in 2020, the neighbourhood consists of 30 sustainable floating homes equipped with solar panels, heat pumps, green roofs covering at least one third of the roof, and all homes are connected to each other via a smart grid.

Amsterdam (Netherlands), tourists observe and listen to the audio guide at the Houseboat Museum along Prinsengracht, where photographs, videos and interesting facts tell the story of life aboard a houseboat. The museum is housed in a former cargo ship where the captain lived with his family, and was subsequently used as a real floating house from 1967 to 1997.

Zaanstad (Netherlands), the houses of Zaandijk and the old windmills of Zaanse Schans surrounded by flooded fields along the River Zaan, a river that played a leading role in the Dutch Golden Age with its industrial activities, water exploitation and hundreds of windmills, portrayed by Claude Monet during his frequent stays in the area.

Amsterdam (Netherlands), three architects working at the Space&Matter architecture firm, which was responsible for the urban planning of the floating neighbourhood of Schoonschip, in the north of the city. Completed in 2020, the neighbourhood consists of 30 sustainable floating homes, equipped with 516 solar panels, 30 heat pumps, green roofs covering at least one third of the roof area, and all homes are connected to each other via a smart grid.

Amsterdam (Netherlands), a man works on his computer in the evening at his home in the IJburg floating house district: over 10,000 square metres with 158 floating homes complete with bridges, roads and boat moorings, making it the largest floating district in Europe. IJburg extends over a series of artificial islands in Lake IJmeer, separated from IJburg by a lock that makes the surrounding area a sort of indoor swimming pool with clean water.

Amsterdam (Netherlands), Hanneke Maas, 65, retired theatre teacher, returning from sup training among the canals of the floating neighbourhood of Schoonschip, where she lives with her husband Peer. Completed in 2020, it consists of 30 sustainable floating homes equipped with solar panels and heat pumps and connected to each other via a smart grid.

Amsterdam (Netherlands), a moment during Pride 2025 along the canals of the city, the “Venice of the North”, where water is a natural stage for everyday life and an integral part of its identity. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Amsterdam owes its wealth and beauty to water, but also faces the future threat of flooding, an environmental challenge that the city has taken very seriously. Just think of the ‘Amsterdam Rainproof’ project, which aims to build a city that is resilient to climate change.

Ouwerkerk (Netherlands), at the Watersnoodmuseum (Flood Museum), two visitors watch video testimonials about the flood of January 1953, when the North Sea broke through the dykes in several places. To block the water, the breaches were closed using enormous concrete caissons, which now house the museum.

Hoek van Holland (Netherlands), a guide explains to a group of visitors how the Maeslantkering, the world's largest mobile flood barrier, works. The visible white pipe systems are the arms (237 metres long) connected to the two rotating floodgates, each 22 metres high and 210 metres long, which are activated when necessary. Built between 1991 and 1997, the Maeslantkering is designed to withstand a tidal wave 5 metres above NAP (Normaal Amsterdams Peil).

Amsterdam (Netherlands), Hagen Harvey, 26, relaxes with a book at his home along the Keizersgracht. Hagen, an American with a Dutch mother, has been in Amsterdam since October 2024 and works as an accountant at Ernst & Young. Popularised after the Second World War due to a shortage of housing, houseboats have now become one of the possible responses to rising water levels as a result of climate change.

In Ouwerkerk (Netherlands), the Watersnoodmuseum (Flood Museum) displays the diary of Piet de Peuter, a 12-year-old boy from Alkerk, who kept a journal of events with various newspaper clippings during the January 1953 flood, when the North Sea broke through the dykes in several places. To block the water, the breaches were closed using enormous concrete caissons, which today house the museum.

Amsterdam (Netherlands), at Het Scheepvaartmuseum (the Dutch Maritime Museum), a man enters an installation that reproduces the mouth of a whale. The history of the Netherlands is inextricably linked to water and trade, and therefore also to whaling, which began thanks to the Dutch explorer Willem Barentsz. During his voyages in the Arctic Sea, Barentsz realised that whales were not the terrifying sea monsters that had been believed until then, but rather enormous mammals that were easy to capture.

Amsterdam (Netherlands), houses built on the water in the Zeeburgerbaai area of Lake IJmeer. About one and a half metres above the water, two concrete platforms overlooking the bay accommodate dozens of houses, connected to the mainland by two bridges.

Amsterdam (Netherlands), an artist's floating home-studio along the Buiksloterkanaal, north of the city. In Amsterdam, not only are the traditional houseboats that have characterised the canals for centuries becoming increasingly popular, but so are actual floating houses, with all the comforts of a “normal” home combined with the latest technology and sustainability requirements, as in the new neighbourhoods of Schoonschip and Ijburg.

Monster (Netherlands), the high coastal observatory that monitors the Zandmotor, a 2011 project through which an artificial peninsula along the coast of The Hague was built using 21.5 million cubic metres of sand. Monster (Netherlands), a girl watches the sunset over the water from the artificial beach in Monster, where the Zandmotor project was carried out in 2011. This project involved the construction of an artificial peninsula along the coast of The Hague using 21.5 million cubic metres of sand. The sustainable project works “with” the water rather than against it: the wind, sea currents and waves are gradually spreading the sand along the coast and into the dunes, strengthening the coastline in the long term.

Amsterdam (Netherlands), a man on a boat paints the exterior of his house in the floating neighbourhood of Schoonschip, in the north of the city. Completed in 2020, the neighbourhood consists of 30 sustainable floating homes, equipped with 516 solar panels, 30 heat pumps, green roofs covering at least one third of the roof area, and all homes are connected to each other via a smart grid.

Amsterdam (Netherlands), the spectacular Sluishuis residential complex designed by architect Bjarke Ingels to be carbon neutral, surrounded by water and built on an artificial island in Lake IJmeer. The building celebrates the Netherlands' relationship with water: it has an internal dock, 34 floating houses along the pier surrounding the building, and even a sailing school.

In Ouwerkerk (Netherlands), at the Watersnoodmuseum (Flood Museum), seated visitors watch a video about the January 1953 flood when the North Sea broke through the dykes in several places. To stop the water, the breaches were closed using huge concrete caissons, which now house the museum.

Hoek van Holland (Netherlands), a support vessel for platform operations crosses the Nieuwe Waterweg (the canal connecting the port of Rotterdam with the North Sea) through the Maeslantkering, the world's largest mobile flood barrier. The two visible white pipe systems are the arms (237 metres long) connected to the two rotating gates, each 22 metres high and 210 metres long, which are activated when necessary. Built between 1991 and 1997, the Maeslantkering is designed to withstand a tidal wave of 5 metres above NAP (Normaal Amsterdams Peil).

Amsterdam (Netherlands), Bas van Bentum (right) chats with a colleague at the Space&Matter architecture studio, which handled the urban planning for the floating neighbourhood of Schoonschip, in the north of the city. Completed in 2020, the neighbourhood consists of 30 sustainable floating homes, equipped with 516 solar panels, 30 heat pumps, green roofs covering at least one third of the roof area, and all homes are connected to each other via a smart grid.

Zaanstad (Netherlands), the agricultural fields along the River Zaan look almost like narrow islands floating on the water. A large part of the country consists of polders, land surrounded by dykes and reclaimed from the sea: to make it cultivable, the water is drained using dykes and complex canal systems.

Amsterdam (Netherlands), artist and singer Floyd Brollo, left, with two friends on the houseboat where they live in the city centre, along Keizersgracht. Popularised after the Second World War due to a shortage of housing, houseboats have now become one of the possible responses to rising water levels as a result of climate change.

Amsterdam (Netherlands), the houseboat in the city centre, along Keizersgracht, where artist and singer Floyd Brollo lives. Popularised after the Second World War due to a shortage of housing, houseboats have now become one of the possible responses to rising water levels as a result of climate change.

Amsterdam (Netherlands), musician Eduardo Navea relaxes with his girlfriend Jessica De Abrell in their houseboat in the city centre, along the Keizersgracht, where he has lived for several years. Popularised after the Second World War due to a shortage of housing, houseboats have now become one of the possible responses to rising water levels as a result of climate change.

Amsterdam (Netherlands), view of the floating neighbourhood of Schoonschip in the Johan van Hasseltkanaal, located in Buiksloterham, in the north of the city. Completed in 2020, the neighbourhood consists of 30 sustainable floating homes, equipped with 516 solar panels, 30 heat pumps, green roofs covering at least one third of the roof area, and all homes are connected to each other via a smart grid.

Amsterdam (Netherlands), dentist Leentji Schade, 45, with one of her chickens, which she raises in the henhouse on the roof of her houseboat in the city centre, along the Keizersgracht. Leentji has often sailed around the world in the past, volunteering to provide dental care to children in the Third World. Popularised after the Second World War due to a shortage of housing, houseboats have now become one of the possible responses to rising water levels as a result of climate change.

Amsterdam (Netherlands), tourists enjoy an aperitif on the water during a boat trip along the city's canals. The Dutch capital, the true Venice of the North, has a close relationship with water, with which it lives in symbiosis. Water is an indispensable resource; daily life in the city takes place on the water, but water also represents a constant danger that must be managed.

Vrouwenpolder (Netherlands), the artificial island of Neeltje Jans in the south of the country is connected to the mainland by the imposing Oosterscheldekering, a 9-kilometre-long barrier against storm surges and flooding, consisting of two rows of concrete pillars (65 in total). The steel floodgates of the barrier descend when the water level rises more than three metres above NAP (Normaal Amsterdams Peil).

Amsterdam (Netherlands), a girl jogs in front of the entrance to a floating house with an old Citroën 2CV parked outside.
The floating house is located along the Amstel River in the Oost neighbourhood, where “woonarken” and watervillas are very popular.

Amsterdam (Netherlands), some people observe the city from the top of the A'DAM Tower, right in front of the central station. Amsterdam is 2 metres below sea level, and the central station is located on a dyke (invisible to the naked eye) that protects the city and represents the northernmost point of the Randstad, the large circular dyke that connects Amsterdam to Rotterdam and The Hague.

Cruquius (Netherlands), the old pumping station with a steam engine dating back to the mid-19th century, which was used to drain the Haarlemmermeer (Haarlem Lake), the largest inland lake in the Netherlands. Today, the station, together with the system of mills, bridges and locks, is a national monument.

Maasdijk (Netherlands), Rik Van der Hoeven checks his cacti inside the greenhouses of his family business, Cactuskwekerij Van der Hoeven. ‘They are eco-friendly plants,’ says Rik, ‘because I water them twice a week and they allow for significant water savings.’ Maasdijk, in Westland, is in the heart of an area at high risk of flooding but rich in greenhouses with a strong vocation for floriculture, thanks in general to the flat, well-drained soil rich in sand, clay and silt.

Amsterdam (Netherlands), Suzanne Hennings, art curator, plays with her dog on the roof of her house overlooking the water in the IJburg floating house district: over 10,000 square metres with 158 floating homes, making it the largest floating district in Europe. Popularised after the Second World War due to a shortage of housing, houseboats have now become one of the possible responses to rising water levels as a result of climate change.

Amsterdam (Netherlands), at Het Scheepvaartmuseum (the Dutch Maritime Museum), a mother shows her son a tapestry depicting the battle between the Dutch and Anglo-French fleets that took place on 7 June 1672 off the coast of England, at Solebay. Literally surrounded (and immersed) in water, the Netherlands has a past linked to sea travel and a present filled with nautical enthusiasts.

Amsterdam (Netherlands), the interior of Philip De Grietje's home, a watervilla along the Amstel River in the Oost neighbourhood, where he has lived for ten years. In Amsterdam, not only are the traditional houseboats that have characterised the canals for centuries becoming increasingly popular, but so are actual floating houses, with all the comforts of a “normal” home combined with the latest technology and sustainability requirements, as in the new neighbourhoods of Schoonschip and Ijburg.

Hoek van Holland (Netherlands), a guide illustrates the functioning of the Maeslantkering, the world's largest mobile flood barrier, in front of a large map of the southern part of the Netherlands. Built between 1991 and 1997, the Maeslantkering is designed to withstand a tidal wave 5 metres above NAP (Normaal Amsterdams Peil).

Amsterdam (Netherlands), a man swims in the Amstel River in front of Somerlust Park, south of the city centre. The Dutch generally have a close relationship with water, so much so that almost everyone can swim because it is compulsory for them to learn as children in primary school.

Amsterdam (Netherlands), Hanneke Maas, 65, a retired theatre teacher, relaxes by reading a book on the balcony of her house overlooking a canal in the floating neighbourhood of Schoonschip, where she lives with her husband Peer. Completed in 2020, it consists of 30 sustainable floating homes equipped with solar panels and heat pumps and connected to each other via a smart grid.

In Ouwerkerk (Netherlands), at the Watersnoodmuseum (Flood Museum), there is a tile on display that was made and sold to raise money for the families of the victims of the January 1953 flood, when the North Sea broke through the dykes in several places. To block the water, the breaches were closed using enormous concrete caissons, which today house the museum.

Amsterdam (Netherlands), visitors to the Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam, one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world, along Nieuwe Herengracht. The first seeds and plants arrived in the 17th century thanks to the activities of the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the Dutch East India Company, a symbol of the Netherlands' strong connection with water and maritime trade.

Amsterdam (Netherlands), the ancient Oranje Locks along the North Sea Canal to the east of the city prevent salt water from reaching the inland lake IJmeer. The Oranje Locks are built near the IJ Dijk, one of the many dykes that keep the city of Amsterdam, which lies 2 metres below sea level, dry.

Ouwerkerk (Netherlands), at the Watersnoodmuseum (Flood Museum), two visitors consult an archive dedicated to the flood of January 1953, when the North Sea broke through the dykes in several places. To block the water, the breaches were closed using enormous concrete caissons, which today house the museum.

Hoek van Holland (Netherlands), a guide explains to a group of visitors how the Maeslantkering, the world's largest mobile flood barrier, works. The white pipes visible are the arms (237 metres long) connected to the two rotating floodgates, each 22 metres high and 210 metres long, which are activated when necessary. Built between 1991 and 1997, the Maeslantkering is designed to withstand a tidal wave 5 metres above NAP (Normaal Amsterdams Peil).

Amsterdam (Netherlands), a small canal between two houses in the floating neighbourhood of Schoonschip. Completed in 2020, it consists of 30 sustainable floating houses equipped with solar panels and heat pumps and connected to each other via a smart grid.

Monster (Netherlands), a girl watches the sunset over the water from the artificial beach at Zandmotor, a 2011 project in which an artificial peninsula along the coast of The Hague was built using 21.5 million cubic metres of sand. The project works “with” the water rather than against it: wind, sea currents and waves are gradually spreading the sand along the coast and into the dunes, strengthening the coastline in the long term.

Zaanstad (Netherlands), the houses of Zaandijk and the old windmills of Zaanse Schans along the River Zaan, a river that played a leading role in the Dutch Golden Age with its industrial activities, water exploitation and hundreds of windmills, portrayed by Claude Monet during his frequent stays in the area.

Amsterdam (Netherlands), a man prepares to board his boat from his home overlooking a canal in the floating neighbourhood of Schoonschip. Completed in 2020, it consists of 30 sustainable floating homes equipped with solar panels, heat pumps, green roofs covering at least one third of the roof, and all houses are connected to each other via a smart grid.

Amsterdam (Netherlands), dentist Leentji Schade, 45, in her dental clinic housed in a houseboat in the city centre, along the Keizersgracht. Leentji has often travelled the world in the past, volunteering to provide dental care to children in the Third World. Popularised after the Second World War due to a shortage of housing, houseboats have now become one of the possible responses to rising water levels as a result of climate change.

Amsterdam (Netherlands), a boat transports containers along the Amsterdam-Rijnkanaal, part of the network of waterways connecting the German Ruhr region with the port of Amsterdam. Approximately 100,000 ships pass through it annually, and it is considered one of the busiest canals in the world.

Vrouwenpolder (Netherlands), three boys walk under a wind turbine on the artificial island of Neeltje Jans, in the south of the country. The island is connected to the mainland by the imposing Oosterscheldekering, a 9-kilometre-long barrier against storm surges and flooding, consisting of two rows of concrete pillars (65 in total). The steel floodgates of the barrier descend when the water level rises more than three metres above NAP (Normaal Amsterdams Peil).

Amsterdam (Netherlands), Suzanne Hennings, art curator, cooks in her house overlooking the water in the IJburg floating house district: over 10,000 square metres with 158 floating homes, making it the largest floating district in Europe. Popularised after the Second World War due to a shortage of housing, houseboats have now become one of the possible responses to rising water levels as a result of climate change.

Amsterdam (Netherlands), the interior of the ‘Excellent’ house, a watervilla along the Amstel River in the Oost district, inhabited by a large family. In Amsterdam, not only are the traditional houseboats that have characterised the canals for centuries becoming increasingly popular, but so are actual floating houses, with all the comforts of a “normal” home combined with the latest technology and sustainability requirements, as in the new neighbourhoods of Schoonschip and Ijburg.

Amsterdam (Netherlands), tourists on a boat observe a curious floating house along Prinsengracht. In Amsterdam, not only are the traditional houseboats that have characterised the canals for centuries becoming increasingly popular, but so are actual floating houses, with all the comforts of a “normal” home combined with the latest technology and sustainability requirements, as in the new neighbourhoods of Schoonschip and Ijburg.