For some time now there has been talk of Neom megaproject, which proposes the construction of a series of futuristic cities as well as structures that seem taken from fantasy literature, such as the Discovery Tower, a glass skyscraper erected on the top of a mountain. However, a series of controversies call into question the viability of this Arab utopia.
The Line, futuristic city or desert hell?
The Arabian Peninsula has long been the talk of the town for its mega architectural projects that are a symbol of the region’s economic power. The fossil fuel monopoly has given these countries ample monetary leeway to wow the world with some of the most impressive structures in the world, could it be that this ambition has finally gone too far?
All nations and, above all, all political leaders, seek in different ways to leave their mark on history through monuments. When we take into account the history of the Middle East, it is not surprising that these types of demonstrations reach extremes that could hardly be seen in other parts of the world.
Now with the project of a futuristic city erected in the middle of the desert, monumentality might have gone too far. Whatever name has been given to this project is The Line, and it is easy to understand the reason: it is a city built in the middle of the Saudi desert that would have a length of 170 kilometers with a height of 500 meters, but with a width of just 200 meters.
The models and renders promise that The Line will be a city straight out of science fiction, without vehicles, connected by an underground line that would allow you to get from one end to the other in just 20 minutes, friendly to the environment and without negative human impact. Any service would be five minutes away and could accommodate 9 million people, but do expectations match reality?
Architects describe The Line as “hell”
Faced with such a pharaonic proposal that, at the same time, promises to preserve the environment, expert architects from different countries carried out a study to determine if Prince Mohammad Bin Salman’s project could really fulfill everything it promises. The result of the study was not at all encouraging for The Line’s viability prospects.
The first aspect that is called into question is the expectation regarding the population capacity of the city. According to its dimensions and the number of people it plans to accommodate, it was calculated that would have 10 times the population density of Manhattan Islandwhich would mean terrible overcrowding for the inhabitants.
On the other hand, when studying the environmental impact of this construction, taking into account current technology, it became evident that the amount of materials needed and their transportation would generate a gigantic amount of CO2 emissions. Large earthworks would also be necessary to level the land and build the massive transportation infrastructure.
In addition to this, there have emerged complaints about the forced displacement of nomadic tribes that have inhabited the territory since ancient times, which implies a strong human impact. The projection of high-speed transport does not seem viable either, since, due to its linear design, short times could not be coordinated between each station, providing a 60-minute portrait to reach any destination.
The team of architects determined that, to make the mega project possible in any way, it should, to begin with, be laid out in a circular manner, in order to compensate for all the aforementioned inconveniences in terms of mobility and habitability.
Conclusion
The Line is not the first mega project for a sustainable futuristic city, nor would it be the first to remain on paper due to poor forecasting of the environmental and human costs involved. Time will tell if this utopia is possible or not.
