OUR planet is becoming more unbearably crowded by the day. So where do you go to escape it all?

From overpopulation to flooding or disaster, floating cities are touted as the ultimate solution to mankind’s troubles. And get ready, they’re coming sooner than you may think.

According to sustainability company The Seasteading Institute, autonomous ocean settlements could become a reality within the next five years. So as part of their plan to build the world’s first city at sea, the company has launched a contest to find the best design called the Floating City Project.

They will pick a winner in August.

In the meantime, here are some cool floating city designs that are already out there, as compiled by Inhabitat. So will this be where many of us will live soon?

The Lilypad

Designed to house those seeking to escape rising sea levels, the Lilypad was created by Vincent Callebaut Architectures. The waterlily-shaped, self-sufficient floating city could either be stationed near a coastline, or travel around the ocean.

It would use technologies such as solar, wind and biomass to produce its own energy and process CO2 in the atmosphere, that would then be absorbed into its titanium dioxide skin.

Approximately 50,000 people could fit into one Lilypad.

Floating city

With more than 1 billion people, China is the world’s most populous country and holds 20 per cent of the entire planet’s population. So it’s little wonder that there’s serious concern about where the next generations will be able to fit.

So Chinese construction company CCCC commissioned AT Design Office to come up with a solution. The result is a plan for a self-sufficient artificial island that would be energy efficient and include vertical farms and areas for catching fish.

Silt Lake City

Nope, it’s not meant to be “Salt Lake City”. Instead, this “hydropolis” would focus on solving flooding issues in the Nile Valley in Africa. That’s because the new cities could ride the tides when needed.

Noah’s Ark

Created for a post-apocalyptic world, the new-age Noah’s Ark would be powered on renewable energy. The work of Serbian designers Aleksandar Joksimovic and Jelena Nikolic, it could either be one large mainland, or be broken off into a series of smaller islands.

A wall stretching up to 64 metres would provide protection for its inhabitants from strong winds. And fittingly, there’s room for animals too.

Harvest City

Though its yet to become anything more than an idea, this was meant to help the recovery of Haiti following the 2010 earthquake. Designed by Tangram 3DS and architect E. Kevin Schopfer, it would fit up to 30,000 people and would feature a canal system and crop circles.

There would be schools and offices too, of course.

The Green Float

The Green Float could hold a whopping 1 million people. The series of connected islands would include a 1000 metre-tall eco-skyscraper on each one.