What Ever Happened to ‘The Line’?

Remember that crazy idea to have a city in the middle of the desert that was a 170km long and 200m wide? Well, after over a year of talks and flashy videos, we are finally seeing physical progress on The Line.

The first stages of what will be one of the biggest feats of engineering and architecture in history, are finally underway. The company overseeing the project, NEOM, released a video of a massive area being cleared for foundations.

This has settled many debates over whether the project is even real or just a PR stunt. However, some are still sceptical of its legitimacy despite early signs of construction.

So What Actually is The Line?

The Line is a proposed city that is not only the biggest megaproject ever, but also changes the way that people will live their lives. The city will be 170km (105 miles) long and only 200 meters wide with a height of 500 meters. To put the massive size of this project into perspective – it will be the equivalent of 2000 One World Trade Centre’s next to another 2000 One World Trade Centres.

The idea behind The Line is to be a completely carbon neutral city with no need for cars, having all the necessary buildings within a 5 minute walking distance. Travel within The Line also won’t be difficult as there is a proposed high speed monorail system going through the middle of The Line.

The Challenges Facing Construction of The Line.

The Line is estimated to be costing upwards of $750 billion, meaning it will be a massive risk if it is to fail. The challenges presented are unprecedented in construction and failure is very probable at every stage of the creation.

Some of the challenges that could affect The Line are:

• Implementation Challenges: Turning the vision of The Line into a reality will require significant planning and coordination, and there may be challenges in finding the right technology and materials to make the city truly sustainable and waste-free.
• Resistance to Change: The hardest challenge will be the getting people to buy into the way of life that the Line presents. You are effectively closing yourself into a city with no need to go anywhere else – This is a drastic change from existing life and could stop people moving into The Line.
• Social and Cultural Issues: In its early days of construction there have already been ‘issues’ to say the least. The project has displaced the native Howeitat tribe, even sentencing three to death after refusing to vacate their homes.

‘It’s hard to not see the dystopian side of this.’

We are only able to wait and see whether or not this mental project gets finished or if it will become just another humbling failed megaproject that exposes the limitations of human capabilities.

Or in 2030 we could see the first fully carbon neutral, walkable city that paves the way for the future of city construction. Then it will be left to see if they have created a utopia or a dystopia.

Read more about The Line – THE LINE: a revolution in urban living (neom.com)

Read more blogs by Genmar – Blog – Genmar IT