By Charles Carter, 22/10/22
Drone footage released this week by Ot Sky shows banks of construction vehicles preparing the ground for Saudi Arabia’s 170km-long desert city, The Line.
Further details of the concept were released in July receiving both praise and cynicism, but those who said it will never happen might have to eat their words as diggers break ground in the sand.
How does it work?
The Line will be 170km long, 200m wide, 500m high and accommodate 9 million residents with no roads, cars or emissions.
Instead, high-speed trains will travel the length of the smart city in just 20 mins and people will be able to reach almost everything they need within a 5 min walk from their dwellings.
The first phase of the $500 billion project is expected to be completed by 2030.
The city is one of the megaprojects of NEOM, a development region embodying the country’s strategy to transition from a fossil fuel economy to emerging technology and tourism in the coming decades.
It is located in the north west of Saudi Arabia, with Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba coastlines.
What are the potential benefits?
Its creators say The Line represents the future of urban living.
The walkable city aspect is something urban planners around the world have been trying to deliver as it promotes health and wellbeing, with less time spent commuting.
And as the footprint of the building will be just 34 square kilometers, the impact on the land and nature is kept to a minimum.
Indeed, 95 per cent of the land that would be needed for development in a conventional sprawling city of 9 million, can be left untouched.
It will also run on 100 percent renewable energy.
Questions for you. Comment below
- First thought that comes into your head?
- Pros and cons according to you?
- Other applications of this approach?
- What could this be combined.with?
Links
https://www.neom.com/en-us/regions/theline
Very surprised the slave & indentured labour being used isn’t mentioned!
We read about that dystopian society many times on novel books. There will be those living in the basement without even a window to open on the external world, and those living on the top with blue sky, infinity pools, and all the amenities. Eventually there will be reserved areas to the “top only” while those living in the basement will cover services, and all technicals the city needs to function.
On novels, the plot remains the same. Rebellion to get to the top, suppression, and chaos.
Should the project fail, supposedly that will ever come into existence, like in any plot already seen, it could be easily converted into a prison. And that wouldn’t be a surprise looking at new policies based on forced immigration before, and forced repatriation now. 9 millions inmates.
Seems like a bad B movie we seen already in many different formulas, from the Cube, to Oblivion. Now the Line, different name, same plot. Hell on earth.
Great concept, and grand vision. (500bn!)
Would be keen to know what other shapes were considered, and how they fared – say a hexagon array??