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What is Saudi Arabia’s eco-friendly city (The Line)?
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The Line, Saudi Arabia's groundbreaking eco-friendly city, stands as a testament to futuristic urban development. Situated in Neom, this innovative project was originally planned to stretch 170 kilometres and operate without roads, cars, or emissions, running entirely on renewable energy. Emphasising environmental sustainability, The Line was designed to preserve 95% of its natural surroundings, offering a visionary approach to urban living where nature and technology coexist.
However, recent reports suggest that the ambitious scale of the linear city has been significantly reduced. Instead of the envisioned 105-mile-long linear city, the project may now stretch only a mile and a half by 2030, raising questions about its feasibility and the reality of its environmental claims. Additionally, the project's progress has been marred by budget overspends, changing visions, and reported human rights concerns.
👉 In this article, we explore The Line, Saudi Arabia's innovative, eco-friendly city project, delving into its sustainability claims and whether or not they stand up to scrutiny.
What is The Line?
“ The Line was launched by His Royal Highness, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, in 2021. The linear city will have no roads, cars, or emissions, run entirely on renewable energy, and preserve 95% of the land for surrounding nature. Unlike traditional cities, people's health and well-being will be prioritised over transportation and infrastructure. ”
This utopian-sounding urban development is currently under construction in Neom in the Tabuk Province of Saudi Arabia. Originally designed to be 170 kilometres long, towering 500 meters above sea level, and stretching only 200 meters wide, the smart city crosses through desert valleys and mountains to reach the Red Sea where residents will be able to access the water via its hidden marina. The Line aims to redefine urban living and challenge the very idea of what a city looks like.
If the project is completed to its original design, it will house an impressive 9 million people despite being constructed on a reduced footprint of only 34 square kilometres. With an ideal climate all year round, residents will be able to access daily essentials in no more than a five-minute walk and travel from end to end via high-speed train in only twenty minutes.
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Why is The Line being developed?
The Line is part of Saudi Vision 2030 (also referred to as Project 2030) - a government project spearheaded by the Crown Prince. It was launched in 2016 and aims to tackle the challenges of urban life today while also diversifying the country's economy, culture, and society.
The country is currently highly dependent on oil and gas with 74% of its exported goods and services linked to oil exports, and 30 to 40% of the country's GDP stemming from oil revenue. Decreasing this reliance on oil is one of the country's long-term goals. The Saudi government wants to diversify its sources of revenue as well as create more employment opportunities by developing the country's private sector.
The Crown Prince's pet project, Saudi Vision 2030, has three main focuses: to become “the heart of the Arab and Islamic worlds”; to become a key player in global investment; and to develop into a hub connecting Afro-Eurasia. Under the umbrella of this vision, the Saudi Government announced plans to create a new urban area in the north of the Red Sea called Neom. The mega project involves the development of a floating industrial complex, a global trade hub, tourist resorts, and The Line.
The Saudi government has pledged 500 billion USD for the city's construction, to be provided by the Public Investment Fund of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as well as local and international investors. In return for this investment, the Saudi government has stated that the project will create 460,000 new jobs, promote economic development, and add $48 USD to the domestic GDP by 2030.
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How does The Line compare to an average city?
Gathering information on The Line can be challenging as project management requires architects to sign confidentiality agreements, making the project’s official website the primary source of information. However, if you search for concept artwork of the city, you'll see two towering, sleek, mirrored structures with an outdoor space between them, stretching endlessly across the horizon, flanked by desert on both sides. It looks unlike any other city on Earth - more like something out of a science fiction movie.
According to the website The Line aims to revolutionise city living by "tackling the challenges facing humanity" and is structured around a variety of city ideals, including:
Unparalleled access to nature
The Line aims to respect its surroundings and to preserve 95% of nature within Neom. It will achieve this by being incredibly dense and tall - with nine million residents the city will have an average population density of 260,000 people per square kilometre. To put this into perspective the current most densely populated city in the world is Manila, with a population of 44,000 people per square kilometre.
The city's design means that urban sprawl is avoided and with a vertical city garden all residents will have access to nature within just a few minutes walk.
Clean air for everyone
It's intended that The Line will produce no carbon dioxide emissions and will operate on 100% renewable energy (this includes the operation of its industries). The city has also been designed in such a way that roads, cars, and other unnecessary infrastructure are completely eliminated.
Nature will also be carefully integrated into the design of the city in an effort to enhance air quality.
Spend more time with loved ones
In addition to optimising nature and eliminating roads and urban sprawl, The Line will also prioritise making daily essentials accessible to citizens. All necessary amenities will be available in under a five-minute walk.
End-to-end transportation will also allow residents to travel the length of the city in only twenty minutes and automated services, powered by artificial intelligence (AI), will increase efficiencies helping to reduce time wasted on commuting or waiting for services.
A perfect climate all year round
Sunlight, shade, and ventilation have been carefully considered to optimise the climate within the city all year round. Green spaces have also been prioritised to enhance the living conditions of city residents.
It's intended that The Line will run entirely on renewable energy. Artificial technology will be used to monitor the city and predictive data models will work to continuously enhance the lives of citizens.
World-class quality of life
The city hopes to attract some of the “best and brightest” and will offer a one-of-a-kind social and economic experimentation. Without traffic and pollution, and alongside world-class preventative care it's hoped that residents will have extended lifespans.
A place to prototype business
Built to prioritise humans, the linear city will utilise smart technology to predict and react to what residents need. With the dense design of the city, human experiences will be richer and business opportunities more abundant.
An environmental solution to urbanism
The Line's transport system will be 100% sustainable and without pollution or wait time. With short commutes, residents will also have more time for leisure. Salaries will also be optimised as the city eliminates the need for expenses such as cars, car insurance, fuel, etc.
A community inventing the future
Technology is being used to provide advanced planning and logistics when it comes to the construction of the city. The city is also going to be built in a modular fashion and the total structure will be made up of 135 modules, each one 800 meters in length and 500 meters tall.
| Aspect | The Line | Traditional City |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | No roads or cars, high-speed rail system | Roads, cars, public transit |
| Energy Source | 100% renewable (solar, wind, hydrogen) | Mixed (fossil fuels, renewables) |
| Carbon Emissions | Zero emissions goal | Significant emissions from vehicles and industry |
| Urban Footprint | 170 km long, minimal width, vertical | Expansive urban sprawl |
| Land Preservation | 95% of land preserved for nature | Limited nature preservation |
| Access to Nature | Vertical garden design for every resident | Green spaces concentrated in parks |
| Living Essentials | Within a 5-minute walk | Often requires longer commutes |
| Climate Control | Optimized sunlight, shade, ventilation | Variable depending on urban planning |
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What are The Line’s environmental credentials?
On the official website it's claimed that the city will be zero-carbon, running entirely on renewable energy and preserving 95% of land for nature. But how exactly can be achieved?
According to The Line's website and press releases a dedicated research team has been assigned to ensure that the city is constructed using only the greenest construction materials possible. Supply chain and operational emissions will also be carefully considered to ensure that the environmental footprint is as low as possible.
The linear city will be run entirely on renewables - or at least that's the plan. Energy will be sourced from solar and wind power. Additionally, The Line will also become a major production site for hydrogen. A contract has been signed to create the world's largest green hydrogen plant that will generate more than 650 tons of hydrogen per day and 1.2 million tons of ammonia per year. The plant is anticipated to come online by 2025 and will save more than 3 million tons of CO2 emissions annually.
Additionally, it's been claimed that the project will be backed up by carbon capture and storage (CCUS) technologies and that carbon offsetting will also help to eliminate any unavoidable emissions.
The city's impact on nature and the environment has also been considered in the design of the city itself. The fact that it's being built up instead of sprawling out into the landscape means that the building will not impact the region's nature in the way that the construction of a regular city would.
The project also plans to treat the glass facade of the building to prevent birds from flying into the city. The migratory patterns of different species of birds have also been considered to minimise any risk.
Does The Line match up to reality?
The Line, with its breathtaking vision of a futuristic, eco-friendly city, certainly captures the imagination. Yet, the question remains: Can these ambitions truly be materialised into reality?
Unrealistic designs?
Many experts point out that turning The Line's futuristic designs from drawings into real buildings could be a tall challenge. For example, creating living spaces high up on ledges might not only be difficult to build but could also break safety laws and regulations.
Additionally, the city's single, long design might cause issues with wind flow. In a city so tall and narrow, the wind could flow through it in ways that might be uncomfortable or even harmful to the people living there.
Carbon footprint
One of the biggest issues with The Line's plan to be carbon-neutral is that building something so massive requires a lot of materials like glass, steel, and concrete. While the project claims these will be "low-carbon materials", experts argue that it's not feasible to construct a 500-meter tall building using entirely low-carbon options.
The reality is that these materials will take a lot of energy to produce, and this energy will likely come, at least in part, from the burning of fossil fuels, which releases carbon dioxide. So, even though The Line aims to be eco-friendly, its construction is likely to contribute significantly to carbon emissions. Some experts have estimated that the project could contribute as much as 1.8 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
Additionally, recent reports have revealed that Neom officials are seeking contractors to build two gas power plants to supply energy to the region until greener sources can be secured. This reliance on fossil fuels during construction undermines the project's eco-friendly ambitions. Furthermore, a $1.5 billion project to build a water desalination plant running on 100% renewable energy was recently cancelled, raising further doubts about the sustainability of The Line.
Human rights and privacy issues
Digital rights experts have highlighted concerns about surveillance and privacy in The Line, largely due to its heavy reliance on data and AI. The city's technologically advanced infrastructure, designed as a "cognitive city" for efficient management and control, could potentially enable widespread surveillance, raising concerns given Saudi Arabia's history of monitoring dissent.
Additionally, the project's development involves the displacement of indigenous tribes, notably the Howeitat tribe. The construction of the linear city necessitates their eviction from ancestral lands, leading to the loss of cultural heritage and community upheaval. This situation is further exacerbated by reports of strict penalties for those who oppose these evictions.
Harmful design
Initial designs for The Line have already faced criticism about their potential impact on wildlife and everyday appeal. The mirrored structure is set to be built on a migration route used by billions of birds, leading planners to express concern that the city could lure a significant number of them to their deaths. This has raised significant ecological concerns.
Moreover, the uniform development with external mirrors on both sides could contribute to unnecessary heat gain and be detrimental to bird populations. Experts suggest that such design choices might be ecologically harmful.
Ambitious goals and greenwashing
Neom claims that 95% of land and sea in the region will be protected for nature and is already recruiting for roles dedicated to rewilding and land preservation. While these goals are commendable, the overall ecological impact of constructing a new city from scratch remains significant. The construction and operation of buildings represent nearly 40% of global carbon emissions, a factor often overlooked in discussions about The Line's sustainability.
Saudi Arabia's green ambitions for Neom, while part of a plan to pivot the economy away from fossil fuels, are still largely funded by the country's vast oil revenues. Critics argue that such projects might be part of a wider greenwashing trend, diverting attention from the country's continued reliance on and production of fossil fuels.
Scaling back ambitions
Recent reports indicate that the grandiose scale of The Line has been significantly reduced. Initially planned to stretch 170 kilometres, the project is now expected to reach only a mile and a half by 2030. This drastic reduction highlights the challenges and feasibility issues the project faces, raising further questions about its sustainability and the reality of its environmental claims.
The Line - the city of the future?
As The Line progresses towards its goals, it remains a symbol of both potential and controversy in urban development. This futuristic city aims to "shine a light on alternative ways to live" and set new standards for sustainability in a world increasingly conscious of environmental impacts. However, the recent scaling back of its ambitions, reliance on fossil fuels during construction, and ecological and human rights concerns highlight significant challenges.
The journey towards realising this ambitious vision is fraught with hurdles, including questions about feasibility, true sustainability, and ethical implications. While The Line could inspire a global shift in how cities are designed and built, its success is far from guaranteed. The project's evolution will be closely watched, as it attempts to balance innovation with practicality and ecological responsibility, amid growing skepticism about its viability and impact.
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