An ambitious urban development project involving the construction of a city with no roads where 1 million people would live has recently been unveiled by Saudi Arabia.
As per the project, known simply as The Line, the new city is going to be built along a 170-kilometer long stretch of land, resulting in the creation of what is essentially a chain of communities where residents would have easy access to the shops and services they require.
THE LINE is the first major urban development in 150 years not designed around roads. An invisible layer of infrastructure will enable building in and around nature rather than over it.
— NEOM (@NEOM) January 11, 2021
Welcome to the new future.
Welcome to THE LINE. #whatisTHELINE pic.twitter.com/CfkWwCrAdr
"By 2050, one billion people will be displaced due to rising CO2 emissions and sea levels", said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during the presetation of the project. "90 percent of people breathe polluted air. Why should we sacrifice nature for the sake of development? Why should 7 million people die every year because of pollution? Why should we lose one million people every year due to traffic accidents? And why should we accept wasting years of our lives commuting? Therefore, we need to transform the concept of a conventional city into that of a futuristic one."
“Why should we sacrifice nature for the sake of development? Why should seven million people die every year because of pollution [...] one million people every year due to traffic accidents?” HRH the Crown Prince questions as he introduces @NEOM’s THE LINE. #whatisTHELINE pic.twitter.com/9GJfsflr67
— CIC Saudi Arabia (@CICSaudi) January 10, 2021
The Line is expected to be built in the Neom area located in Saudi Arabia's Tabuk province, with construction slated to begin early this year.
