10 Cities That Were Moved Entirely by Humans
Throughout history, humans have relocated entire cities to escape disasters, rebuild economies, or preserve culture, proving how far people can go to survive and adapt.
- Sophia Zapanta
- 4 min read
Moving an entire city may sound impossible, but it has happened more often than many realize. Natural disasters, industrial needs, and political shifts have forced populations to pack up and rebuild somewhere new. These cases show how determination and engineering can reshape geography when survival or progress demands it.
1. Kiruna, Sweden
Ximonic on Wikimedia Commons
Kiruna is Sweden’s northernmost city and sits above one of the world’s largest iron ore mines. As mining expanded, the ground beneath the city began to crack and sink. In 2014, authorities decided to move the entire town about 3 kilometers east. The relocation, still in progress, includes homes, schools, and the city hall, which was carefully dismantled and rebuilt piece by piece.
2. Valdez, Alaska, USA
Jason Grote on Wikimedia Commons
After the 1964 Good Friday earthquake triggered massive landslides, the original town of Valdez was deemed unsafe. The U.S. government relocated the city four miles inland to stable ground. Residents rebuilt their homes, docks, and roads from scratch. Today, the new Valdez stands as a model of planned relocation after a natural disaster.
3. Hibbing, Minnesota, USA
Myotus on Wikimedia Commons
In the early 1900s, Hibbing sat atop rich iron ore deposits. When the mining company wanted to expand, it purchased and moved more than 180 buildings to a new location two miles away. The move took years, with houses pulled on sleds and rollers. The “new” Hibbing still thrives as the home of the largest open-pit iron mine in the United States.
4. Grantham, Australia
Photographic Collection on Wikimedia Commons
In 2011, deadly floods devastated Grantham in Queensland. Rather than rebuild in the same danger zone, officials and residents chose to move the entire town uphill. Within two years, hundreds of people were living safely in new homes on higher ground. The project became a rare example of community-led relocation done quickly and successfully.
5. Shishmaref, Alaska, USA
Bering Land Bridge National Preserve on Wikimedia Commons
This small Inuit village faces constant erosion and rising seas due to climate change. The land beneath it is disappearing as permafrost melts. In 2016, residents voted to move the entire community to the mainland, several miles inland. Though funding delays have slowed progress, planning for the move continues as the threat grows.
6. Pharaonic Abu Simbel, Egypt
Orderinchaos on Wikiemedia Commons
When the Aswan High Dam was built in the 1960s, rising waters from Lake Nasser threatened to drown the ancient temples of Abu Simbel. Engineers cut the monuments into large blocks and moved them 65 meters higher and 200 meters back from the river. It took four years and international cooperation to complete. The relocation preserved one of Egypt’s most important heritage sites.
7. Old Belchite, Spain
Javier Pérez Montes on Wikimedia Commons
The original Belchite was destroyed during the Spanish Civil War in 1937. Instead of rebuilding the ruins, the government constructed a new Belchite nearby in the 1950s. The old town remains frozen in time as a memorial. Walking between the two is like moving from tragedy to rebirth in a few minutes.
8. St. Jean Vianney, Canada
JMK on WIkimedia Commons
In 1971, the small Quebec village of St. Jean Vianney collapsed after heavy rain triggered a landslide that swallowed dozens of homes. Survivors were quickly relocated to higher ground nearby. The new settlement was rebuilt just a few kilometers away. The old townsite remains off-limits and is now covered by forest.
9. Centralia, Pennsylvania, USA
Georgfotoart on Wikimedia Commons
An underground coal mine fire that began in 1962 still burns beneath Centralia today. Toxic gases and sinkholes forced the government to evacuate and relocate nearly all residents. Most homes were demolished, and only a few people remain in the nearby area. The town’s relocation became one of the most famous environmental disasters in U.S. history.
10. Move of the Serbian Town of Kostolac
Mazbln on Wikimedia Commons
In the 1970s, the Serbian government decided to move parts of the town of Kostolac to make way for coal mining and a new power plant. Entire neighborhoods were relocated several kilometers away. The process involved moving homes and rebuilding public services. Today, the new Kostolac continues to grow while mining remains active nearby.