City of the future: 170-kilometre skyscraper

THE LINE, located in Neom in Saudi Arabia, will house 9 million people. Is this the new way of living?

The design is striking to say the least: two enormous, reflective structures that extend over more than 160 kilometers of desert. The so-called building THE LINE located in the city of Neom in Saudi Arabia should provide a home to 9 million people. Is this the example of the new way of life or something that will forever remain just a drawing?

When it comes to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman The project will actually become a reality. According to him, Neom should be able to house 2030 million residents by 1.2, and that number should grow to 2045 million by 9. This week, Salman announced the city's designs; in their own words a revolution in civilizations. The project promises to provide an unprecedented urban living experience while preserving the surrounding nature.

Three dimensions 

THE LINE offers a new approach to urban design. The concept is also referred to as Zero Gravity Urbanism. All urban facilities are located vertically, in different layers, allowing people to move seamlessly in three dimensions, up, down or across. Unlike cities with only tall buildings, this concept also layers public parks, schools and workplaces.

But, the design of the city of the future includes no roads, no cars and no CO2 emissions. The city will be run on 100% sustainable energy and 95% of the land will be preserved for nature. Unlike traditional cities, the health and well-being of residents will be prioritized over transportation and infrastructure. However, all amenities in the city for residents will be within a five-minute walk, and there is also a high-speed train that can cross the entire city in 20 minutes. 

With the construction of Neom, Prince Mohammed hopes to increase Saudi Arabia's capacity and attract more citizens to the country. According to him, this is necessary to make Saudi Arabia an economic superpower. He does not think he can achieve this goal by designing an average city; at least that worked...
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