A skyscraper city that’s 170km long, 200 metres wide and 500 metres tall, and will run entirely on renewable energy – that’s The Line, designs for which were released recently in the planned city of Neom, Saudi Arabia by His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman.
In January last year, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had launched the initial idea and vision of the city that redefines the concept of urban development. The new designs reveal how urban communities of the future will live in an environment free from roads, cars and emissions. To be built on a physical footprint of only 34 square kilometres, which will help preserve 95% of Neom land, The Line will eventually accommodate 9 million residents.
Saudi Arabia’s futuristic city takes a new approach to urban design by layering city functions vertically and allowing people to move seamlessly in three dimensions (up, down or across) to access them. Called Zero Gravity Urbanism, this concept layers public parks and pedestrian areas, schools, homes and places for work, so that one can move effortlessly to reach all daily needs and facilities within five minutes.
Featuring a mirror facade, the skyscraper city will allow even its small footprint to blend with nature. In the absence of cars and other vehicles in the zero-carbon city, residents will have access to a high-speed rail with an end-to-end transit of 20 minutes. The environment has been carefully designed to allow for an optimal balance of sunlight, shade and natural ventilation. The green open spaces throughout the city will further enhance comfort for those living, working and visiting here.
Speaking at the launch of the designs, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said, “At The Line’s launch last year, we committed to a civilisational revolution that puts humans first based on a radical change in urban planning. 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 liveability.”
“We cannot ignore the liveability and environmental crises facing our world’s cities, and Neom is at the forefront of delivering new and imaginative solutions to address these issues. Neom is leading a team of the brightest minds in architecture, engineering and construction to make the idea of building upwards a reality,” he added.
