Home Articles 170-kilometer long Saudi Arabia futuristic megacity: The Line
ArticlesArchitecture & Design

170-kilometer long Saudi Arabia futuristic megacity: The Line

Share
170-kilometer long Saudi Arabia futuristic megacity: The Line
Share
170-kilometer long Saudi Arabia futuristic megacity: The Line

The Line is a humancentric futuristic city concept created by NEOM in Saudi Arabia. The project is considered a revolution for traditional urban life and urbanism. The name of the NEOM combines the Greek word neos (????), or new, with the Arabic word mustaqbal (??????) , or future. The first plan of “The Line” was published on January 2021 by Prince and Chairman of the NEOM Board of Directors Mohammed bin Salman.

170-kilometer long Saudi Arabia futuristic megacity: The Line

Concept

The Line was designed for approximately 9 million residents and built a footprint of 34 square kilometers. The cost of the project is $500 billion. Residents will have access to all facilities by walking and a high-speed rail with 20-minute transit. The project was designed with a model where residents can reach the facilities they need by walking for 5 minutes.
The Line location is imagined as a link between the Red Sea coast and northwest Saudi Arabia.

170-kilometer long Saudi Arabia futuristic megacity: The Line

The Line is a part of Saudi Arabia’s 2030 Vision plan. In addition, NEOM said that AI could monitor The Line and find methods to enhance daily living using data and prediction models.
The Line would be powered by renewable energy. According to bin Salman, the entire development will be net-zero and pollution free. According to NEOM, “No roads, cars or emissions, it will run on 100% renewable energy and 95% of the land will be preserved for nature. Unlike traditional cities, people’s health and well-being will be prioritized over transportation and infrastructure. Only 200 meters wide, but 170 kilometers long and 500 meters above sea level.”

170-kilometer long Saudi Arabia futuristic megacity: The Line

Structure

The images of the project show two parallel wall-like constructions enclosing a space between them. According to its planners, The Line will be encased in a mirror façade on the outside, giving it a distinct character. The inside will be constructed to house buildings, layers of public parks, pedestrian spaces, schools, houses, and workplaces. Urbanization develops horizontally, not vertically like traditional urban planning models.

170-kilometer long Saudi Arabia futuristic megacity: The Line

Mohammed bin Salman, crown prince of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of the NEOM Board of Directors, “The designs revealed today for the city’s vertically layered communities will challenge the traditional flat, horizontal cities and create a model for nature preservation and enhanced human livability. The Line will tackle humanity’s challenges in urban life today and will shine a light on alternative ways to live.”

170-kilometer long Saudi Arabia futuristic megacity: The Line

According to NEOM’s executive director for urban planning Tarek Qaddumi, NEOM also researches sustainable building materials and methods. Their research continues what they can do to make a city of 9 million people carbon-zero.

170-kilometer long Saudi Arabia futuristic megacity: The Line

The developers refer to the concept as “Zero Gravity Urbanism.” Rising 500-meters above sea level, this construction means walls are planned higher than many skyscrapers like the Empire State building. Urban life in “The Line” has 3-dimensional organization; two derivatives of Zero Gravity Urbanism are Hyper-proximity and Hyper mixed-use. Hyper-proximity city model prioritizes multimodal transportation rather than car-centric design.

170-kilometer long Saudi Arabia futuristic megacity: The Line

According to Tarek Qaddumi, The concept of “Zero Gravity Urbanism” releases us from the limitations of the ground plane and the necessity to demolish it. The “Zero Gravity Urbanism” model enables us to locate functions nearby. This brings up a whole new realm of previously tricky or unattainable adjacencies. For example, a school can be a museum.
Through this project, Saudi Arabia will create 380.000 jobs and ad approx. $50 billion to the country’s GDP.

170-kilometer long Saudi Arabia futuristic megacity: The Line

Critics

The concept generally comes from critics of traditional city design and life quality in big cities. As mentioned before, the footprint of the project is 34 square kilometers. It means less than 4 square meters per person. NEOM calls the model of The Line is an eco-city and carbon-zero, but the scale and social goals create serious questions that the project can deliver on its environment.
Urban Planning and design experts have questions about the sustainability and feasibility of the project for today’s civilization. Can such a megastructure be carbon-zero with today’s technology?

170-kilometer long Saudi Arabia futuristic megacity: The Line

According to Philip Oldfield, head of the built environment school at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), approximately 1.8 million tons of carbon emissions will occur with the materials used to construct such a project. This is more than the annual carbon emissions of many European countries. With today’s technology, unfortunately, it is not possible to make carbon zero for a huge structure by using concrete, steel, and glass.
Regarding biodiversity, the project’s connection with the outside is cut by 500-meter mirror walls. It is not good for the environment (especially for animals) to have huge parallel mirrors in the middle of the desert, even if the birds could fly in and out. Also, the city is defined horizontally. However, it is perceived as a 170-kilometer street with 500 meters high walls and skyscrapers around it; maybe it is horizontal as an urban model but still, the buildings are vertical.

170-kilometer long Saudi Arabia futuristic megacity: The Line

On the other hand, the linear city concept is not new, as represented by NEOM. Firstly, in 1882, Spanish urban planner Arturo Soria y Mata developed it. Also, he is best known for the linear city concept. After Soria y Mata, Soviet planner Nikolay Alexandrovich Milyutin in the 1950s and German functionalist architect Ernst May formulated this concept. Also, In the 1960s, American architects Michael Graves and Peter Eisenman designed a 35-kilometer linear city between Boston and Washington. Just Soria y Mata’s classical linear city idea was implemented in Madrid, Spain.
However, turning these ideas to real-world will significantly win for Saudi Arabia.

Share
Written by
Serra Utkum Ikiz

Serra is passionate about researching and discussing cities, with a particular love for writing on urbanism, politics, and emerging design trends.

1 Comment

  • Привет друзья[url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]![/url]
    Наша издание показана на рынке Украниы шель-шевель более чем 5 лет. Согласен это время автор этих строк можем вырости изо чуть ощутимый региональной печатные издания в полное интернет СМИ.
    На теперешний шахсей-вахсей нас изучают более млн читателей по (что месяц. Вот несколько по отдельности актуальных заметок сверху теперь:
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/][img]https://i114.fastpic.ru/big/2021/0206/32/164417ec7f0e5b2e74147036148d1332.jpg[/img][/url]
    1)[url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]Посадові оклади на 2024 рідля в Україбукваі [/url]
    2)[url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]Зарплата учителям у 2024 році в течение Україбукваі [/url]
    3)[url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]Яка хорэ мінімальна пенсионеріэго на 2024 букваідля на Україні[/url]
    4)[url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]Допомога малозабезпеченим язык 2024 році на Україбукваі [/url]
    5)[url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]Декретні виплати 2024 на Україні [/url]
    6)[url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]Налаштування яйцеводів супутникового телебачення сверху 2024 букваідля в течение Україні [/url]
    7)[url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]Військові пенсионерії в течение 2024 році в течение Україбукваі [/url]
    Заходите для нам (а) также получите и распишитесь уведомление изо первоначальных рук. Только самая свежая информация изо первоисточника, свежие данные и последние новости.
    С уажением редакция газеты “Густая Украина”
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]сколько платят дородовые в украине 2024[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]потери россии на 26 мая 2024[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]погода на місяць жовтень 2024[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]розрахунок допомоги малозабезпеченим сім’ям[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]домработница в прямую[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]квед расшифровка[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]кошторис бюджетної установи бланк 2024[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]екзамени пдр[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]магнитные бури в мае 2024 украина[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]календар на 2024 рік українською мовою[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]якою буде погода в жовтні[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]православний календар на 2024 рік[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]погода м львів[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]державні вихідні 2024[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]на сколько поднимут зарплату военным украины в 2024 году[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]підвищення тарифів на газ в 2024 році[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]сколько платят декретных в украине[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]яке населення україни 2024[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]майбутнє україни пророцтво[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]днів в році[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]скільки будет доплата мінімальної зарплати у 2024 році в Україні[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]дородовые выплаты 2024 украина неработающим форум[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]зарплата завідувача днз 2024[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]сайт бюджетних установ 2024[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]сколько платят за первого ребенка в украине 2024[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]місячний календар стрижок 2024[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]посівний календар на жовтень 2024[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]посвідчення дитини з багатодітної сім’ї проїзд 2024[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]перерахунок пенсії[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]календар вчителя на 2022-2024 навчальний рік[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]прогноз погоди в лютому 2024 року[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]заробітна плата вихователя ДНЗ[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]предсказания матушки алипии для украины 2024[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]декретна відпустка для ФОП жінки підприємця 2024 в Україні[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]2024 рік високосний[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]календар стрижок на січень 2024 року[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]церковні празники в серпні 2024[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]календар огородника на квітень 2024[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]фінансовий гороскоп Стрілець на 2024 рік[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]экзаменационные билеты пдд 2024 украина[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]гороскоп липень[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]якою буде зима 2022-2024 року в Україні[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]рибний календар кльову[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]стрижка в січні 2024[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]збільшились штрафи за порушення ПДР України[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]трудовий кодекс України 2024 року про відпустки[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]какие предметы сдают на дпа[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]до родовые выплаты 2024[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]підвищення зарплати вчителям у 2024 році в Україні[/url]
    [url=https://sylnaukraina.com.ua/]якого числа день Перемоги в Україні 2024[/url]

Leave a Reply

Related Articles
OMA Wins Competition to Redesign Tirana’s Selman Stërmasi Stadium
Architecture & Design

OMA Wins Competition to Redesign Tirana’s Selman Stërmasi Stadium

The Selman Stërmasi Stadium, a longstanding icon of Albanian football built in...

The Future of Smart Cities: Parametric Design in Urban Planning
Articles

The Future of Smart Cities: Parametric Design in Urban Planning

Cities are expanding faster than ever, but are they truly built for...

8 Signs Your House Needs Electrical Rewiring
Articles

8 Signs Your House Needs Electrical Rewiring

When was the last time you thought about the wiring in your...

Simplicity in Concrete: A look at 8 notable projects by Tadao Ando
ArticlesArchitects

Simplicity in Concrete: A look at 8 notable projects by Tadao Ando

Tadao Ando is a self-taught architect that has succeeded. He has various...

Subscribe to all newsletters

Join our community to receive the latest insights and updates!

© 2025 ParametricArchitecture. All Rights Reserved. By utilizing this website, you are consenting to our User Agreement, Privacy Policy, and Cookie Statement. In compliance with the privacy laws of Turkey and the United States, we recognize and respect your rights. Please be aware that we may receive commissions for products bought through our affiliate links. Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or transmission of any material from this site is strictly forbidden without prior written permission from ParametricArchitecture.

ad blocker mark

AdBlocker Detected!

Help Us Keep Our Content Free

Your support helps us continue delivering high-quality resources at no cost to you.

We’ve detected that you are using an AdBlocker. We completely understand the need for a clean browsing experience, but ads help us keep this platform running and continue providing you with high-quality content at no cost.

If you enjoy our content, please consider disabling your AdBlocker or adding our site to your whitelist. Your support allows us to create more valuable articles, tutorials, and resources for you.

Thank you for being a part of our community!