Saudi Arabia’s Line City Explained

[@timbruns1636]

Geometrically, a line is among the least efficient, and therefore least sustainable forms of organizing a city. Just think a second: If you want everything in 5 minutes distance along a 170 km line that is also 500 m tall - you need endless elevator shafts and multiple highspeed and lowspeed trainlines stuffed in there constantly servicing the structure. This will consume a multiple of energy, resources and, actually, space, to have the same comfort and amenities of a concentric shaped city. There is a reason almost all cities are concentric, and it's not a lack of imagination. It's just much more efficient - and therefore also sustainable. So can we please stop uncritically repeating these claims about sustainability which is a mere marketing buzzword.

[@jackabm69]

you’re right, we shouldn’t dream, we shouldn’t be different, we shouldn’t innovate, we should become monkey again.

[@aliettienne2907]

I agree 💯👍

[@thechannelimashamedof2361]

Or a lot of duplication, like a grocery store every 400m along the line

[@timbruns1636]

@@thechannelimashamedof2361 Exactly what I meant with using up more space and resources for the same result

[@LaurensHouweling]

@@jackabm69 if you think this is innovative or creative you need to open your mind

[@r.coleman1596]

Kowloon Walled City 2: Arabian Bogaloo

[@4thquarter5]

That walled city was torn down

[@N0Xa880iUL]

🤣

[@debadityasaha1684]

🤣

[@Kung.Pao.Kitty.]

DUDE!!!!! 👊🏽😂🤣

[@bingobongo9340]

Slow clap

[@Samuel_J1]

Saudipunk 2077 Looks great as a game concept, but as reality? It's a complete disaster.

[@r.e.d.8725]

Cyberpunk would be bugless before the line is built

[@seasesh4073]

Can't wait for mirror edge parkour x Saudipunk 2030 Collab

[@ViriuZ7]

How do you know?

[@blacklight4720]

Stop bitching for likes and wait for 2030. Mob mentality on the internet helps no one.

[@KevinJohnson-cv2no]

I have faith in it. I don't know why ambitious projects are so shunned lmao (well, I do know why; the average joe looks for any excuse to hate things more prosperous than himself); and with regards to the human rights thing, they quite literally have to mold the city according to western human rights norms. The entire project is looking to attract western business owners, high-powered executives, innovators & engineers etc. to a "paradise in the desert"; and unlike Dubai (which is mostly just a tourist attraction for the west), they are intending for people to acquire and maintain citizenship here. In other words, they have to bend to western norms of human rights if they want to stay afloat; otherwise the western business owners, innovators etc. simply won't live there and the project fails.

[@user-dg9pu4pe9d]

Another concern could be disaster response or evacuation. Most urban areas people can retreat in many directions but with a linear city, depending on planning, crowds may be funneled. Especially, on higher levels. Bottlenecks and crowds can turn into a nightmare. Emergency crews may also be restricted by the layout. There are stories of shipwrecks where passengers encounter bottlenecks while trying to get out. People die.

[@fuzzyduck1989]

that's what they aim for... DEATH. They think humans are a cancer to earth

[@eexpandingawayy]

That’s what I’m saying!!!!

[@balintvarga5146]

Bold of you to assume they care about human life in that part of the world

[@Blade-Play]

Im guessing they want many underground layers as well. You could have emergency lifts spread people out into different paths to minimize congestion

[@lancethrust9488]

MODERN DAY AUSTWITZ !!!

[@aronc24]

Can someone please explain to me how a giant mirror wall in the desert isn’t a huge eco safety hazard?

[@aronc24]

@@N0Xa880iUL Duh. Not the point at all, but yeah.

[@guitarchitectural]

Didn't you see? There was a titled card that said "zero carbon". Problem solved!

[@aronc24]

@@guitarchitectural 🪄

[@JoBT42]

@@N0Xa880iUL how is just naming something else an argument as to why this isn’t an eco hazard?

[@ScratchedWinter]

because they wont build it

[@darrenchin_]

concept artists making an absolute killing these last few years

[@watchf]

For jokes like these

[@MarkWellenburg2376]

@@watchf tbh it looks really cool

[@itsdanielgray]

@@MarkWellenburg2376 So do lots of other make believe kingdoms.

[@MarkWellenburg2376]

@@itsdanielgray English translation please?

[@itsdanielgray]

@@MarkWellenburg2376 It looks really cool, like lots of other make believe places that will not exist any time soon.

[@X3MAntics]

There's nothing to explain. It's impractical, dumb, and will most definitely require slave labor if pushed through.

[@MrFanatic33]

Him comparing existing problems in the UK cities unfavorably to The Line (which doesn't fucking exist and never will) and never mentioning Saudi Arabia's horrible slave labor practices makes me think he's getting paid for this and isn't disclosing it.

[@AirShark95]

@@MrFanatic33 The Saudis have been on a massive marketing campaign for this project in an attempt to green-wash it and court potential investors to it. It's nothing more than vaporware like the Hyperloop project, but with even worse implications for the environment and human rights should it actually go ahead.

[@notyrpapa]

It is sort of astonishing how little criticism is levied against the design in this video, or how it’s reduced to a sidenote. From slave labour to the ecological impacts of a structure this big, from the cost inefficiency of building this in the desert to the restrictions on citizen rights this project would enable, from the impracticality of indoor trees to the inefficiency of connecting people in a linear transport system. Come on Tomorrow’s Build, I expect better from a channel which claims to be experts in the built environment.

[@ss_avsmt]

FYI except the 1st world countries, who are not even 10% of the world population, working as labour is technically slavery itself. That's not going to be an issue. Don't sweat it.

[@ss_avsmt]

Moreover, labour work in india pakistan will pay you about 10 to 12 USD per day. That's why they are smuggled to gulf countries for earning more, yet equivalent to slavery.

[@maqsoodfarhanfaith]

Thanks!

[@hijikatasan]

honestly the best design to squash demonstrations and uprisings

[@blacklight4720]

Interesting idea 🤔

[@CausticLemons7]

Reminds me of the anime BLAME!

[@wanrazul]

The people who can afford to live there probably arent the demonstrating types

[@questioner1596]

@@wanrazul, every city needs a working class. Who will prepare the food, teach the children, maintain the gardens, fix the transportation? Other rich people?

[@wanrazul]

@@questioner1596 Arent those supposed to be automated? Robot chefs, teachers, gardeners...etc

[@skyscraperfan]

Just make a simple calculation: How much will the city cost per cubic metre? The budget of $500 billion might sound impressive, but there are 17 billion cubic metres of space between the reflective facades. That's less than $30 per cubic metre. Is there ANY building that costs only $30 per cubic metre? That does not even work for large empty halls. $30 per cubic metre is not even enough for a simple wooden hut in your garden. The glass facade alone is 170 million square metres large. You know better than I how much a modern glass facade costs, if it has to be strong enough to withstand the huge wind pressure. $1,000 per square metre would already be very cheap and even those $1,000 would add up to $170 billion just for the facade. The Line would also need a lot of train tunnels to move millions of people wherever they want. The 20 minutes maximum travel time are unrealistic, as the high speed train can stop every five kilometres or so. There have to be a limited number of stops of the high speed train, from there you move to a slower train an finally to a very local train that stops every 500 metres or so. In total most travel times would be between one or two hours except for people whose start and destination are both close to high speed stops. But even high speed trains need some time to reach their highest speed and time to get from high speed to zero. And that in each stop. The best idea about The Line I read so far: Just build it in the Metaverse!

[@N0Xa880iUL]

Perfect line at the end there. (pun intended)

[@oO0Xenos0Oo]

I think the 500 billion pricetag is just way off. This thing is absolutly massive with a height of 500m and a lenght of 170km. Aljazeera reported a pricetag of one trillion $ just for the bare bones structure. The 500 billion are planned for another more traditional carbon free city that is part of the neom project as well. It seems like western media messed up the numbers.

[@mohammedayan4058]

It won’t be that long im sure. 1-5 km will be more than enough

[@ss_avsmt]

It would be built in the meta verse. What do you think the guys living there would be doing? They will be sitting in their rooms with led walls and a vr headset and a treadmill, attending office virtually and eating food from a vending machine. The idea might seem dystopian, but it's going to catch up will all of you.

[@sigi9669]

Regarding the transportation: the high speed rail is supposed to be served by a hyperloop (euhm, I guess I mean "hyperline"?). So we don't need to account for starting and stopping, or any other "real world" realities or limitations. Since, as we all know, such a system does away with such inconsequential nuisances like "physics".

[@charlesrovira5707]

This will make truly _incredible _*_ruins._* A hundred-and-seventy kilometer *mirrored **_slash_* across the sere landscape of the arid desert will be so much more impressive than just a mere pair of feet like *Ozimandias.* This will speak of decay on a truly epic scale.

[@10buy10]

I feel like future archeologists will be the only ones who will like this thing.

[@TheFracturedfuture]

Then everyone will think aliens built it.

[@elinstar6034]

What I thought!

[@OdO_Gee]

🔥🔥🔥

[@jimotherson]

in the future when the line gets finished: “Mom, what’s outside the walls?” “Monsters, titans.”

[@carloszerpa7660]

Like the GOT serie 😂 the wall and the wild walkers

[@samueltotheoh]

Imagine how dystopian this could be. The entire World burns and you're trapped in "The Line", set curfews and police guards walking everywhere. It's like snowpiercer in the desert but at a much larger scale.

[@Jakob_23]

Fr and it’s not like you can just leave whenever I’m sure the exits are gonna be very secure and guarded

[@10buy10]

@@Jakob_23 why?

[@a.burnie3953]

U will never leave. 9 million ppl in there.pfffff totally control.

[@6Vlad6Tepes6]

Do you people ever use any braincells at all?

[@frugihoyi]

I'd watch that movie.

[@nninjastrike2127]

The Line is in a desert where there is lots of empty space, so why artificially limit yourself by only building in practically one dimension? Also what happens if a train breaks down or a section of rail needs maintenance, all of a sudden you need to shut down an entire section of the network as it is one dimensional. Another thing is that The Line seems extremely expensive to maintain, so once Saudia Arabia starts losing oil money they will need to abandon it, which will turn the Line from an expensive vanity project into a slum (assuming it isn't abandoned beforehand).

[@nobrakes7892]

im sure a random guy on the internet knows better

[@UtkuDemir]

I think they'll give up on this project after seeing your brilliant foreseings about maintenance issues.

[@freakazoid4691]

It’s not one dimensional. It’s three dimensional, or four. And if a section of rail needs repairing the trains can stop at the stations before it on either side. This could be a good way of preventing the desert from spreading but that doesn’t seem to be the purpose.

[@timbruns1636]

It is doable with miltiple redundant highspeed and lowspeed trainlines, a lot of extra money and effort. But to service such a structure takes a lot more space, energy and resources for the same result than even just a bunch of skyscrapers of the same height would in a concentric form. Using up more resources, energy and space for the same result is everything but efficient and sustainable. But that's just a marketing buzzword anyway.

[@Catscounteratack]

@@nobrakes7892 Adam something or Idk

[@LarperCletus]

One of the biggest long-term issues I see is The Line’s inability to evolve. People see it as the next step in the revolution of city design. But what happens 50 or 100 years after it is built, when linear cities may be considered obsolete? Most current cities can (albeit, difficulty and slowly) change to suit their residents’ needs. The line would always be a massive, long structure in the middle of the desert. And RIP to anyone who tries to build just outside and underneath the massive mirror.

[@isawrooka4]

In that way it’s kind of a perfect representation of the modern economy, everything is disposable and single use lol. This idea has so many problems, I can’t imagine the Saudi king ran it by many engineers for critique before taking this and sharing with the world. Good for memes tho

[@TomsGotPowers]

They make it longer.

[@kiwiguy4706]

Yeh but imagine the crazy power your solar panels will produce 😆

[@carterchester3262]

Thats literally all buildings

[@ContraVsGigi]

Stupidity will find a way. They will build another line, this time, perpendicular. :))

[@trevorhenriques7733]

The guy at 2:12 said it EXACTLY ! It is not a matter of whether you can build this, or how. It is “WHY” ??? In other words, “Here is the solution”. “Now please identify what problem or problems it is designed to solve” ?

[@Justyburger]

I would turn the line into a giant donut shape, so you don't need to go end to end. You can just go around in a circle. You could also create a giant green space in the middle. Lots of forests and parks. That would be way better.

[@MrKingKinght]

like the apple hq

[@Justyburger]

@@MrKingKinght Yes a much bigger version of that. It could also have a big circular building in the middle for another hub and administration. Another design could have multiple rings. I really do think a line is a suboptimal design.

[@MrKingKinght]

@@Justyburger but also sounds kinda like the Panopticon prison concept which allows most efficient control and surveillance of the inhabitants

[@Justyburger]

@@MrKingKinght That's true. It could become a nightmarish dystopia. I myself have Libertarian leanings, so a controlled society is not my idea of a bright future.

[@Rocky0Road]

People will be controlled and have no say

[@ImissVine782]

I can feel the dystopian writers gripping their pens and keyboards with inspiration.

[@erossinema8797]

Well, it is DYSTOPIAN, and creepy as !@#$

[@nickmaclachlan5178]

Straight from the pages of 2000AD comics and their Mega Cities and block wars....... who's gonna be the Saudi Judge Dredd?

[@erossinema8797]

@@nickmaclachlan5178 , Who would want to live like this? Your employer and boss live down the hall. Your job is in the next room. All foods and beverages would be shipped. This is straight from a science fiction movie. Anyone who isn't scared or worried is just dumb. Every movement will be monitored. If you go outside there is nowhere to go

[@nickmaclachlan5178]

@@erossinema8797 It's what they want, complete control over the population.

[@Sjiero]

it literally comes from their pens and keyboards

[@Samuel_J1]

I agree with Lorenzo that it's great for stirring up conversation about what cities should look like. It'd be cool to have a video taking a look at some of those other city concepts.

[@mylex817]

The thing is that, as described in this video, smart, dense, carbon neutral cities have been in the center of modern city planning for decades now. The project is not stirring up a new conversation, it is hijacking an existing conversation with it's outlandish ideas regarding shape and dimensions.

[@ropro9817]

@@mylex817 Exactly, this is just architecture's equivalent of vaporware. 🙄

[@ScratchedWinter]

If it's just about conversation why did they sentence several tribesmen to death for protesting the confiscation of their lands to construct this?

[@yonatanschlussel]

@@mylex817 that's not what the video explained

[@mylex817]

@@yonatanschlussel ok, *touched at, not explained. Starting at roughly 7:50

[@DeadtalesGrandma]

Where are the ANIMALS? What are the food products for inhabitants? How are items manufactured for the inhabitants? How do people leave “the Line”?

[@ShadowRaptor8]

It's basically gonna be a dystopian Snowpiercer train except not moving and in the desert.

[@ben8718]

are you saying it because it is saudi arabia? even though you have no problem using its oil and making it insanely rich

[@rho992]

its big.. 500 meters height a train isn't even 50 meters

[@elessar5848]

Nah mate, its not gonna be a Delhi or calcutta.

[@socerbeast9]

just watched snowpiercer it was the first thing on my mind

[@taboovsknowledge1603]

Spot on!

[@jasons7672]

Imagine living in a big mall where you never get to see a sunset or sunrise...where everything is artificial. What a nightmare.

[@abdullahkuzhan7247]

Imagine going for a walk and your only two options are going forward or back. Like a 2D game. How does anyone look at that and say "yes, this is a good idea" it boggles my mind. It's so absurd and comical that I can't help but think there’s something very shady going on, like they’re hiding their true intentions with this.

[@Aldraz]

I already live like that voluntarily, no problem. But either way, when you look at it, the top is open, so the sun is shining to the line and you can go to the roof it seems, pretty wonderful. What a future, I love it!

[@unknowncyclist8814]

... which is not the case in the line, there will be windows. Everybody essentially has a window right to the nature and sees the horizon. Something most people in their fucked up 25m^2 apartment in the backyard will never have. People still think in 20 century living in the city.

[@jamesfritz5539]

You spend half your life in a big mall or office; working your ass away anyway...you see the sun lunch time?????? What the hell you getting at?

[@PistolPete1980]

This is nothing more than a place to harvest human energy and productivity in the most efficient way possible. This place will be a hell on earth

[@nickmarco9259]

170 km prison

[@thomasauslander3757]

Conjugal prison..

[@liamwilliamson5355]

Bahahahahhaha

[@taurusrk2006]

Shut up

[@dguhxzeertui5998]

True my guy true

[@Dohnr]

170km futuristic Kowloon walls

[@C.A.D.D]

“We thought this project would be a failure, we thought it would be a waste. But ever since the shattering, the line has served as the last refuge for humanity. It’s far from paradise, but compared to what’s out there, this is Eden”

[@mysteriousfleas]

100 mile long ghetto.

[@toomanymarys7355]

​@@mysteriousfleashe is quoting the fifth element.

[@Vegansharks]

Get a life ffs.

[@ryan_yost]

My first thought is that this “line city” will become a real life Coruscant from Star Wars.. the lower levels riddled with crime, and it gets nicer and nicer as you go up the levels.. that’s why I think it will fair despite how cool it is.. possibility for crime at the lower levels increases a whole lot..

[@777ninja]

they'll put 99% of the population in the basement

[@jamesfritz5539]

So Blacks at the lower levels you infer?

[@777ninja]

@@jamesfritz5539 sound like you are inferring that, James... and then trying to project it onto Ryan.

[@jamesfritz5539]

@@777ninja Well, when Pontius Pilate asked Jesus if He truly IS King of the Jews! And I quote in my response: Jesus replied: "YOU said it!"

[@japerkins3565]

So, basically, every current socio economic make up of all cities in existence, especially, those in the United States of America

[@jeremesmith9266]

This feels like a prison, or an on-the-ground Elysium scenario

[@Wanderer727]

Yeah, ELYSIUM! that's what I was thinking

[@E11or]

Build a normal city with no cars

[@faustinpippin9208]

Donut super blocks would be the best, ideally 2km diameter and in the empty space in the middle you could make shopping/recreation zones and parks and in the center a hub for railway, and you would have great views from your flat no matter where you live

[@nictamer]

also build it in a place that's not an oppressive theocratic dictatorship.

[@E11or]

@@faustinpippin9208 yes that would be awesome also sky and fresh air to breath not stuck in a skyscraper with fake plants

[@KevinJohnson-cv2no]

Too unambitious, get back to work wagie

[@E11or]

@@KevinJohnson-cv2no 😪

[@shybzrk]

Personally I really love the concept but could become dystopian quickly, especially if it's considered its "own country". But this seems like one of those ideas that is too awesome & futuristic for our current time. They're expecting the "first phase" of the project to be completed by 2030 -- doesn't sound reasonable unless it's a small phase. I have a feeling it will be rushed, poorly constructed and will be abandoned. I hope the prove me wrong and take it slow because too many of these types of ideas sound great but fail terribly

[@kc4091]

Ya while very different, how about the Chinese ghost cities left vacant.

[@spacekitt.n]

saudi arabia is already dystopian

[@EVILBUNNY28]

At first the line seemed pretty unrealistic, but still doable. Then when version 2 was unveiled I knew it was just never gonna be built. Definitely a case of I’ll believe it when I see it (built)

[@mr.bettafish6313]

I definitely want this thing fail miserably

[@ThomasNing]

Precisely my thoughts

[@Thunderbolt_Nelson]

Right!

[@sygneg7348]

Literally

[@AnhH88]

Yeah their mega projects on man made islands neighborhood are now almost underwater. The country have enough oil money to burn.

[@gabe9125]

What if, instead of being in a single line, you set up multiple lines running parallel. Then you connected them with "crossroads" in a grid-like fashion. That way, instead of being 170km long, you could substantially shorten it to make it into a much more square shape with a regular grid, allowing you to work laterally instead of just linearly. Then you could- ....Wait a second

[@johnnyllooddte3415]

why bother us with logic.. whats wrong with you

[@atlasatlantis8447]

Yes, but a straight-line dose something else they are not telling us. There is some method to this madness. I suspect it might be the city goes from 0m above sea level, to 1000m above sea level.

[@soltantio]

... have a normal looking city?

[@Back-alley-technician]

but what if the lines were smaller in ground area but larger vertically, then placed next to each other on square foundations... hold up

[@Sweethands4]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH, yes dude, hilarious. LMAO

[@Saif-ge2et]

I'm Saudi Arabian, and I honestly think the line is a project doomed to fail. Just the part alone where investment is acquired for this project would be nearly impossible.

[@shobhitsaini86]

they should start with 10 Km patch first and once made .. and keep adding 10 km every year.. that way it can be possible and give required revenue to substain

[@Saif-ge2et]

@@shobhitsaini86 Lets not forget about what they plan to be in the line itself and how its gonna look like internally.

[@Planeman516]

With the amount of money the Saudi royal family has they could probably buy stuff more expensive more then this.

[@shobhitsaini86]

@@Saif-ge2et Things look good inside.. if only they implement in phases that can be better, after investing 300-400 billion dollars if they releaze that this project is not feasible it's waste of money, the developers only want the money so they will convince and build whatever the requirement, the economy will suffer if this thing fails after so much investment, it's better start small save invest around 50-60 billion dollars.. see the outcome and then best rest in phases... maybe 10 phases..

[@Saif-ge2et]

@@shobhitsaini86 That plan sounds good, but it would extend the project for a bit more than a few years to regain the money to make more phases. Also, even if the project was finally made, the money invested wouldn't be worth it as they wouldn't get a lot of money back after finishing the project.

[@russellmanweller6694]

It's a great PR tool, and gives us a way to have a model that we can discuss ideas around. A line is the most direct route from a to b. So we find out what people like about the way it is organized, and then we can market those aspects, but the line can be cut up into sections that can be rearranged. It won't be one big line, but rather lots of smaller lines that handle different types of infrastructure. You can have a powder section, separate from a food production section, or a living section, but each section is a line, so whatever each section provides, can have the most direct route to bring services and products to the people who need them. Starting out as one big line is just an easy way to start to visualize it, before it's broken up into separate buildings.

[@brll5733]

The pricetag is around 1 trillion dollars I believe. Imagine if that was put into renewables plus desalination, they could turn the arabian peninsula into a garden of eden.

[@justaperson2247]

If Mbs was that much intelligent then we would never be discussing this things 😂

[@ContraVsGigi]

It will cost a lot more than that. A scryscaper in, let's say, a few billions. You have many hundreds here, plus the imense fields of wind farms, solar pannels, batteries, logistics to make a city work etc. That sum will be a few times that.

[@phoenix5054]

They actually intend for Neom to be powered with renewables.

[@ContraVsGigi]

@@phoenix5054 you can imagine how many kilometers of solar pannels and wind farms you need for 20 million people? And also batteries.

[@phoenix5054]

@@ContraVsGigi I didn't say they thought this through. Just saying the NEOM is "supposed" to use green energy.

[@chasingjohn]

My first thought is won't it be dark? 500m tall and only 200m wide??? I would start by reversing that. Also will it become one big wind tunnel? Lastly how do you leave the city? If there are limited exit points then this becomes a whole other conversation about control.

[@ss_avsmt]

Harbour. Helipad, airport?

[@lindsayk3708]

It's like a big prison.

[@tojenrazer1129]

No natural sunlight, expect lots of deaths.

[@plainText384]

artificial lighting has been around quite some time now and the renders all depict dense urban development, so there aren't many long straight lines for wind to pick up speed. If everything you need is within a 5 min walk, you won't need to leave, but if you want to, there's the HS rail to take you to the coast.

[@jasmijnariel]

I dont know where the wind comes there, but where does all the water come from? Its the desert

[@aristhocrat]

Imagine the build up of sand along the outer walls.

[@10buy10]

You mean the buildup of glass?

[@LaGrandeBayou]

That would create a much needed job for one of the 9 million “scientists” living in the absurd linear prison housing.

[@thvtsydneylyf3th077]

and dead birds / camels

[@Sweethands4]

...or wind storms blowing sand that scratch your city wall mirrors.

[@Robliss]

The mirror walls isn't to preserve the environment. The walls reflect light and heat nearly perfectly on the surrounding environment will be soaking that in. It will keep the city cooler; reverse urban heating at the expense of your surrounding environment.

[@AlexandruCarjan]

If they build 50 meters of it I will be impressed

[@natanielb1445]

they already started digging it...check on KZbin they posted video. i thought they are just joking lol😂😂

[@Lawnmower737]

@@natanielb1445 The only thing they’re doing is digging sand, and we’ve been doing that since the dawn of man.

[@natanielb1445]

@@Lawnmower737 yes they are supposed stick those pillars in your as$ instead of digging sand.

[@Lawnmower737]

@@natanielb1445 What I’m saying is that nothing of it hasn’t been built yet, digging sand isn’t really a sign of progress, you dunce.

[@bishwatntl]

So, a city 170 km long is not a sprawl?

[@sourcerror]

It's not a suburban sprawl i.e. walkable.

[@almakabban9996]

We have a lot of failures as a humanity. Sometimes our ideas reflect our inhuman approach and are quite unpractical. This is one of those times.

[@beckysam3913]

not "we", only one megalomaniac rich arab leader.

[@basedneutral1173]

@@beckysam3913 lol no, everyone is a failure of humanity

[@coltechhomes3193]

You better put some wind breaks in it some open areas in between

[@63Ktrain]

Why doesn't the computer rendering include the accumulation of sand building up against the sides and the piles of dead birds, as a result of crashing into it?

[@Pajune]

These days, if you have decent 3D modelling skills you can sell ANYTHING to the riches.

[@Minasbtw]

Don't nobody care bout no birds g 😂

[@joshberith]

sand pile, yes. birds crashing ? what birds live in the desert?

[@Tony_Baloney_69420]

Because truth always hurts?

[@PozieNayan]

This Saudi's project will give a DEVASTATING impact to environment especially on migrating desert animals & birds. Flying birds will collided with that mirror wall! That's terrible and this will going to be happened everyday.

[@RandomC360]

Airports? Highways to other city's? Maintenance to this railway?

[@haneef4189]

@Part-Time Gamer People of different races, religions and creeds already mingle in Saudi Arabia's existing cities. Before criticising other countries, fix up your own

[@haneef4189]

@Part-Time Gamer You are the one that brought race and religion into it "What, and allow people from different races, religions, creeds, to mingle" Did you not say this?

[@haneef4189]

@Part-Time Gamer Is Islam allowed in the Vatican? Saudi arabia is the closest thing there is to an Islamic version of the Vatican, why should it adapt to western standards?

[@HugoTron]

I like and do enjoy futuristic/high-tech as much as the next guy but this is just a prison I would not live in a wall where can break at any time or collapse. It’s just, boring. Do a city that is in a LINE and not become the LINE itself. That’s me. Do a futuristic city without that type.

[@ss_avsmt]

Well it won't be so boring with all the vr action and the meta verse jobs everyone is going to have. Some people have forseen the future and they are building it. And it is dystopian. And we'll all be tagging along like sheep.

[@HugoTron]

@@ss_avsmt if you like to be in a city where is boring nature and no flying cars or an actual futuristic type of city. Then you have a problem. Because nature Is NOT part of high tech. The opposite actually. So it’s you and others, emotions, not logic.

[@amaryllian7853]

Very cool tackling of the Line project - not sensationalized and very grounded.

[@jameslarkin4067]

They talk about the shape of this city is to eliminate city sprawl over the surrounding natural areas. But then how would people even get into the city? It’s not like you can just build the city and that’s it. You’re gonna need roads and infrastructure to even get to this crazy place which will lead into business es being built around to support the influx of people moving there. On top of that the city will probably be expensive to live in which will force people to live outside of that city and commute which will ruin any plan of theirs to “eliminate city sprawl”

[@timmerred5]

It would be an interesting experiment. We can see how long until slums develop, as well as overall class structure. You would need hospitals, fire departments and such every so many “blocks” to be effective. Everything you need would need to be close by, so it would need sections that have these things. I’m guessing it will look like Blade Runner at some point.

[@mrunfausted7746]

Semites and their human experiments...

[@atlasatlantis8447]

Na, densely populated cities are cheaper to run. It's a scam that city rents cost more.

[@palinka4031]

Yes, this is supposed to work for the locals, obviously. They’re not thinking about illegal immigrant workers, they can continue to live in slums . Beautiful 😅

[@nbgoodiscore1303]

@@atlasatlantis8447 Imagine having one MRI machine in every block reserved for patients who need urgent medical care. It gives me a headache just from thinking about it.

[@AnimilesYT]

Any other city would also require those things. Slums get created all over the world by improper city planning, so I don't think that argument can easily be made against linear cities in general. Poor city planning is poor city planning regardless of the ideology of a city's layout. As far as I'm aware Singapore is an example of a city which is decently planned. I'm writing this from memory, so please correct me if I said something wrong. Areas and apartment buildings aren't designated to separate people by income. Expensive and "affordable" apartments are mixed and apartment complexes are required to have people of different ethnicities mixed. This is done to avoid most of the issues of elitism and racism. Singapore definitely isn't a utopia either, but this specific issue is generally handled pretty decently. So as long as Neom is built around equality and co-existing with all kinds of different people then they could avoid the creation of slums and an overall class structure. Will it turn out like that? Only time will tell :)

[@NightOwlTX]

No Saudi's in Audi's? I am heartbrroken 😢

[@N0Xa880iUL]

🤣

[@beeroquoisnation]

I remember when we tried this kind of development in America. We tore them down in the early 2000's. We called them the Robert Taylor homes.

[@012vinc]

With project of this complexity it is guaranteed that things will go wrong. Because of this it would be reasonable to first do a proof of concept on a smaller scale. Then the flaws which would reveal themselves could be fixed for a larger implementation of the project. Alternatively, it could turn out that the line city idea is not feasible. In that case the larger project could be scapped and a lot of resources could be saved.

[@oO0Xenos0Oo]

It is planned to be build in stages and is expected to take at least until 2050.

[@N1ckZ]

I think you will agree that they know better than you do.

[@alihaider7653]

Us as humans has always wasted resourses for example in usa in solar concentration powerplant and many nuclearplants and even alot of residencial areas in china has been demolished after full construction so there is no harm in wasting more in hope to find better solutions.

[@seadkolasinac7220]

@@alihaider7653 yeah but those things didn't waste 500 *billion* dollars. That's half of KSA's GDP!

[@fawazaljohani8447]

This is why it's going to be built in phases, until 2045.

[@HAL_NOVEMILA]

Completely unpractical, incredibly stupid design... It will never happen

[@defeatSpace]

Pretty cool, right???

[@flightmode7655]

This is going to be awesome! Imagine you wake up in the morning looking outside your 76th floor suite, sipping tee and listening to the muffled sound of birds crashing on the marvelous mirror front.

[@desosmom1]

Lol i doubt many birds are in the desert like that

[@tomsimmons9179]

@@desosmom1 youd be suprised. especially near the coast

[@fynkozari9271]

Looking at the endless sand? I prefer green, or blue.

[@colechapman6976]

Look at aircraft pilots being blinded by a shimmering mirror in an incredibly sunny desert

[@SGGCREATIVES]

You won't afford to live that high up. This is basically a Hive City from WarHammer40K. There will be a dense population of slave labor at the lower levels complete with gangs and poluted air in no time.

[@daveotuwa5596]

Building car-free cities is a good idea. No pollution in the adorable place. Fresh at all times!

[@bionicaerialfilms]

I like my car

[@GloryStoryCz]

thing is, city grows naturally.... in any direction, people migrate between districts, depend on public moods and trends and for their needs also migrate commerce and services - schools, hospitals.... cant imagine how this will work..

[@uhkkehrjkfj]

Madinah tourist does not have schools Haha

[@Designotherwise]

I find the questions around this project that you mentioned to be much more interesting. And i don’t believe the line in the way that it has been imagined is the only answer to these questions

[@istvanszatmari8803]

Its not even an answer, its just a vanity projeckt

[@Designotherwise]

@Harvard archaeologist Professor that didn’t make a lot of sense and doesn’t really relate to my comment but thanks for participating!

[@Designotherwise]

@Harvard archaeologist Professor you’re the one who was upset i was just saying it doesn’t make a lot of sense because it doesn’t really hve anything to do with my comment And why are you attacking me with this white woman stuff you have no clue who i am or if im white…

[@dee-jay45]

I recall it wasn't conceived with the tall mirror structures during the original pitch. Rather, just a low-density city connected via a single underground subway system. That at least sounded credible. These 500m tall structures and the giant mirrors are just absurd. I'd be surprised if we even see > 10 kilometers built and I don't believe we will ever see the mirror walls.

[@LaGrandeBayou]

Absurdity is what we’ve come to expect out of these self proclaimed “innovators” of the built environment. 500m is nearly a third of a mile tall mirrors…. Throw in the “cloud seeding” claim (how did the Arabs get our CIA/DARPA technology???) …and now I’m thinking WEF Global 2030 “you will own nothing and be happy” narrative.

[@صميدعي]

A very successful project The location is very beautiful, there is a variety of terrain, as well as the most beautiful beaches you can see with crystal water, with pure air and acceptable atmosphere. And many do not know that Mount Sinai is also located in it. And you can imagine the size of the human flow there, especially as it is located in the heart of the world at an equal distance from all directions. Really a successful project

[@louisparkerson6485]

Have they not considered the affect of a massive wall on blocking the movement of sand and wildlife?

[@yogeshkumarallum2540]

Wildlife in a deserts

[@imienazwisko4219]

@@yogeshkumarallum2540 deserts are not lifeless. There is wildlife in deserts and they are essential for the ecosystem

[@jasmijnariel]

The sand will build up against the wall.... or in between the 2 walls inside if the wind comes in the length from it. Then its a gaint windtunnel where your body will get sandblasted

[@Richie_Nefarious]

You are definitely poor af and will remain so..if you care about bunch of animals crossing to other side. Millions of animals die daily to sustain humanity and suddenly you care about them?

[@louisparkerson6485]

@@Richie_Nefarious lol

[@E11or]

No cars but flying cars🤦🏼😂

[@pedroeldiablo811]

no carbon emissions but robot maids.

[@E11or]

@@pedroeldiablo811 both no

[@pedroeldiablo811]

@@E11or yep. Just a reactionary and backwards kingdom trying to fix its horrible image.

[@referencefool6525]

⛔📊🌫🪟🌫🪟🌫🧮🐫🐪💯% traditional.⛱✨🏗🖼💄🌇

[@iwonat1611]

yeah and I would add to that a question - how are the elements of different constructions produced? are they using an air to produce steel elements or for instance components of wind turbines? yeah right who really believes in carbon free future hahaha

[@jakemd8233]

if you think about it, it's just a enooormous horizontal skyscraper. in the middle of the desert. From where there is no escape, I mean, yes, it is clear that there will most likely be an airport and stuff, but this is literally "one door". It's frighteningly amazing to watch someone come up with a dystopian idea and warn us, and then someone say "let's build this" although of course they most likely simply won’t be able to build it)

[@erossinema8797]

Why do you think it is not possible to build it? That is what was said about the Burj Kalifa (Burj Dubai)

[@lenasr5792]

@@erossinema8797 The Burj cost 1.5 billion dollars, this line city has a budget of 500 billion dollars that could possibly reach 1 trillion by the end of construction. Just from a financial perspective they are completely incomparable, nevermind the many other reasons.

[@ZhangLee.]

@@erossinema8797 Burj Kalifa is a tower not A LINE that span 170km across the land and 500m tall .

[@bluegables]

My family lived in Singapore for 9 years w/o a personal car. All basic needs are within walking distance, plus excellent and cheap public transportations.

[@DrummerJacob]

Nothing in Singapore is cheap.

[@catchnkill]

But Singapore is not a 200 meter wide city. And the whole city is not one giantic 500 meter high building. What work in Singapore do not work in this Line city.

[@Brinta3]

This looks like a great setting for the next Bioshock.

[@thomastessier4529]

With all of the seismic activity on the planet and the expansion and contraction of building materials, specifically steel, I see a lot of engineering challenges that will be hard to overcome. Mostly due to seismic activities.

[@palmpalm5131]

And what about wind forces on a continuous wall like that.

[@thomastessier4529]

@@palmpalm5131 Agree with that. It is like a big wind sail. But, I am sure the engineers are taking all this into account and are going to devise different types of seismic / movement joints to compensate. I am curious what those joints will look like and how long each span is between the joints.

[@txquilter608]

I think I heard someone say that the engineers are dealing with questions that have never been asked. One was about the continuous wall. This project has a long way to go.

[@joseluisvazquez4221]

Something as simple as Earth curvature represents a major issue. 500m tall and 170km long only works well in a flat Earth 😂

[@growingup15]

Some of those renderings of the inside is a Cyberpunk's Wet dream. Its so beautiful. I know its impractical but I always loved Layered and Tiered cities. Fell in love with that concept when I took a walk throughout Midtown Atlanta in 2018 on their Skywalk Network and saw how all the buildings in Midtown were just connected via sky walks and there's like a whole different city above. and the Underground part of Atlanta is like a lower layer below. I just love it so much.

[@cmwHisArtist]

It has been shown that the wind turbines break down early from exposure to sand.

[@R.-.]

They should test several designs of mini-city before committing to something on this scale. People like to see out, so I'd hope they're one-way mirrors. Residents might feel trapped living in such a uniform space. If you have regular spurs coming off the Line featuring semi-outdoor areas and some nature people can escape and breathe fresh air. Rail will serve longer journeys, but IMO the interior should be designed for local journeys on foot / bicycles / dicycles etc. rather than large vehicles like cars.

[@PozieNayan]

They just care to wasted their money on a costly projects instead of giving them to the poor.

[@curious5887]

I personally prefer the older design, because it’s basically just a long green-space park that can be expanded on multiple different direction, and has access to natural air circulation, and it is very easy to construct, but when they reveal the second new design, that’s where i lost my support for it, because it’s a giant wall of glass in the middle of an open desert, what if there is a blackout at noon or 12 A.M, or worse, blackout summer season, it will be hot inside, unless you have a auxiliary plant, but what if the auxiliary plant also malfunction, well, it’s a deathtrap, if it’s happened in night, well, the night blackout is much more tolerable because night tend to be cooler, still, experiencing blackout in this monstrosity of a project will be terrible, also, the construction crew will need a lot of material, even if the project was completed and topped off, there is a possibility that occupancy might be lower than they estimated, so if the occupancy rate is low, then it’s a big waste of material, money, and resource, also, i’m concern that it might block bird migration, and most bird fly at an average altitude of 150ft unless in certain condition, they will fly higher, and this wall of glass monstrosity is 500m tall, and 170km long, seeing flock of bird flying to the building glass and dying because of crashing to the hard glass wall is a very sad experience, here’s the point, there is nothing wrong with designing revolutionary city concept, if the revolutionary city design is realistic and not too insane, then it can work, but Saudi Arabia Line is not one of those good revolutionary city design, i think only Oxagon and Trojena that maybe will succeed, because they’re much smaller, and has more realistic design

[@Lazy_Tim]

You cannot explain this!

[@N0Xa880iUL]

🤣

[@marioroman5609]

Imagine being surrounded by concrete walls on all four sides and told you will live in this box along with 9 million other people. What could go wrong.

[@connorconforti2291]

“Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.” - Dr. Ian Malcolm

[@2MeterLP]

"Minimal impact to the surrounding area" The land next to it will be entirely dead because it gets hit with twice the desert sun for part of the day.

[@mycelialgoddess]

It's... already a desert. How could it be more dead?

[@2MeterLP]

@@mycelialgoddess There is plenty of small plants and animals, even in deserts.

[@mycelialgoddess]

@@2MeterLP any city housing that many people will have a severely negative impact on the environment. Mirrors help the interior cooler and reducing climate control emissions. I understand the worry, but there are much bigger issues with the project to worry about.

[@ss_avsmt]

Put some solar cells there.

[@KuriusOranj]

At the lower levels, wouldn't it be dark most of the time? How much sunlight could possibly fall directly into the lower areas?

[@fortesting5147]

have we not seen this in different versions in movies before?

[@wrc5557]

looks like glass covered prison to me!! Appreciate they are putting a lot of the infrastructure underground, but there seemed to be a notable lack of exits on those renderings as well as airports, connections to other cities etc. Having no cars is fine in theory until you want to go to somewhere that isnt the line!

[@HappyPursuits]

Isn’t an enormous wall going to redirect wind currents coming off of and onto the coast? I wonder if that will affect weather patterns in someway over there?

[@abdelrahmanibrahim99]

It will also be a huge animals and natural barrier in both sides along with environmental blocks, pretty interesting to see what will happens

[@sarwarn2107]

@@abdelrahmanibrahim99 Yea, Like we never seen animals and natural barriers called road that stretches out to thousands of kilometre.

[@rohitsharma7032]

Its not a plan to build a new-tech city, rather it is a PR project to change the image of SA .

[@sami3566]

it's a tech-city in first place

[@Lawnmower737]

Just over a month ago a few people were put to death in Saudi Arabia for refusing to give up their land for this idiotic project. There is no changing an imagine of a country that still treats half of its population like second class citizens.

[@Black_Kakari]

As a Fire Systems Electrician I am excited to see what fire system that the engineers implement

[@thesilentone4024]

Can you talk about the benefits of lining roads with native trees. Like reduce spending drivers or reducing wind speeds flooding co2 and crime do to less heat. Lots more of course but thoughts on this.

[@williuuum]

“With 40% of people from ethnic minority backgrounds living in the most green space deprived areas” [[funky beatdrop intensifies]]

[@SmooveTV718]

Building 2 mirrored walls that’s longer than the Berlin Wall and as tall as The Burj Khalifa, sounds insane lol

[@Infernal_Elf]

Its gonna be 500m tall not 828m like the Burj Khalifah but then again it will be much thicker.

[@kristinamercado5737]

1 bedroom condo: My electric bill was $315 this month & I like it dark, living by candlelight most of the time by choice. Most of the bill is the air conditioner because I don't want to melt in Orlando Florida. My car was bought for me outright so that cuts out a car payment but even insurance was expensive but now I actually got rid of a car and just use Uber because Orlando is a hot spot and it's very easy to get around using Uber. I don't want to have to slave myself out and work ridiculous hours to simply enjoy life and survive comfortably and I'm sure most of us are like that if we could think out of the box and try new things. $100 for my cellphone with unlimited service. We are finally being offered $20 to $30 for unlimited cell phone data when this could all be done very easily. 🌴They say that the pyramids in Egypt were actually huge Wi-Fi towers and would supply the entire city with everything it needs. WHY ARE WE STILL LIVING LIKE THIS?? Other than a monopoly on basic necessities?

[@GeographRick]

Will it have its own beheading square, or will all executions be transported to Chop-chop square in Riyadh?

[@N0Xa880iUL]

Hilariously dark

[@TheAliXxD]

No it's gonna be in Abu Ghreeb or Guantanamo, probably.

[@vp5209]

The only potential benefit I see is if this is a part of some terraforming project. Like building a mountain ridge to affect the local climate

[@williamjones6169]

Sounds like it would be awesome place for them like the idea sounds pretty cool but in reality I don't see this ever getting finished and it will end up being just another abandoned site in the middle of the desert but I guess we will see in time.

[@JohanIngeborg]

There's no idea, just wishfull thinking.

[@Robliss]

Public transportation would be awful. 9 million people commuting in a 200 meter hallway? Imagine trying to get to the other side of town.

[@laurentelens4697]

A very easy and obvious criticism of the geometry is : every particular service access would then be at the square of the distance... that's quite energyvore. (I won't even start with the heat regulation issue of a city which maximize the lateral surface in a desert, to a dystopian proportion. The reflected sun would really make a furnace just out of those walls, and the nights are cold I think...) ... soo much for the scoop...

[@bohyeonseo9017]

Problems I can think of: 1. The high speed wind in the desert may lead to structural failure 2. The Line would separate the ecosystem completely 3. Gap between the rich (top) and the poor (bottom) will be huge 4. Hygene problem could cause disease to spread rapidly 5. Accessibility to maintain those infrastructures will be heavity limited 6. Natural light will only hit for such a limited time (unless you're at the top)

[@mclostinthewoods]

And who gets to live at the top and who has to live at the bottom? This is a literal manifestation of the class structure. A beautiful prison. This reminds me (for Star Wars fans) of Coruscant, the planet city. The top levels are a picture of wealth and beauty, while the lower levels are riddled with crime and poverty. Also reminds me of Judge Dredd. I wonder what the law enforcement plan is for this concept of living.

[@diegosauda9596]

If you think about it the only difference from the line an Genoa old district is the location and viability, the only 3 problems are water,food supply,and how to bring enough people to live in it with a substantial bank account to support themselves the first 2 or 3 yrs before internal economy takes off or burst

[@15Kilo]

The power needed to cool a place like this would be mind blowing. I’d say this is an investment nightmare with riches lost

[@nathanchildress5596]

The line would be easier to cool than a regular city, but they'll lose all the money up front if they really intend to make the whole wall mirrored.

[@Utilisateurpasvalide]

I’m not sure it’s the most sustainable way of creating a city, not sure it would end up a nice place to live and work, but it sure is an interesting study for alternative ways of building and living, it’s always good to push outward our thinking ! Very curious how this will develop !

[@novacolonel5287]

I'm sure it's not sustainable and I'm sure it won't be a nice place to live. And it's not an interesting study, it's a colossal waste of resources and testament to the madness power and wealth can cause.

[@thatsamazin-]

I know y’all could all use a check for bout $30,000 right here close to Christmas but ima build a big ass live in mall for yall instead. You will love it. - Prince Haseem

[@ProtoMarcus]

- It won't be sustainable - It won't be efficient - It will not solve issues - It will actually aggravate current issues _(supply access, transportation, increase gentrification, etc)_ - It will be terrible for the environment around - Will be impossible to keep in proper living conditions without requiring a TON of energy - No actual way to produce all that required electricity - As a straight line, no proper or efficient way to let the city ''grow'' - Will be a huge pain to actually build, being in the middle of nowhere and with no access to raw materials at hand - It will aggravate the terrible ''class'' structure with a literal upper and lower class - A nightmare for emergencies There is a reason cities are built the same way they have been for thousands of years _(in a circular, expanding shape)_ - it is the most efficient shape. This entire thing just doesn't make sense *_at ALL_* - and it is even worse when you look into the details, the plans and all - they are simply not achievable. It is *_NOT_* an interesting study for alternative ways of building and living, because it is everything building and living should NOT be. This is actually not pushing outward, it is going backwards in thinking. Using the least efficient shape, the least efficient method of building a city, with promises that cannot physically work even

[@Volumes1224]

If it ends up being the way it's portrayed I'd like to see it.

[@phishfearme2]

where do you go fishing?

[@GauravSingh-uz6xf]

Dubai's king is just a grownup kid who's playing real life Lego 😂😂

[@ONE_PIXEL-u2p]

Bro this is not Dubai is Saudi Arabia

[@germanolaya4723]

Is Not Dubai…, you can’t even write . You had ONE Job

[@rickenbacker472]

Top-down planning at its worst. Nobody wants this. The mockups don’t even have access roads. How will the 1M inhabitants get in & out? How so you prevent organic urban sprawl outside the walls? Honestly, it looks like a hellscape from the mind of a young man who plays too many computer games.

[@nninjastrike2127]

The sunburn from the large mirror walls in a desert would probably prevent urban sprawl from occurring outside the walls, though that's another reason to call it a hellscape.

[@2MeterLP]

Preventing urban sprawl outside is easy - Because its a giant mirror, the surrounding area will be torched by twice the power of the arabian desert sun for parts of the day. It will probably get hot enough to set fire to any houses people try to build there.

[@Menelutorex]

@@2MeterLP sun from north side ?? ;)

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[@sonofrose790]

[@elkhorchef5971]

they missed the opportunity to call it "The Grand Line"

[@gardogodinez6621]

What's more dystopian than having an extreme heat "deathzone" outside a city wall?

[@aussienovax]

Meanwhile the elite class: If you leave your line you will be exterminated, we will know because you're being tracked "remembe".

[@l0v3MyB3ar]

I also love the 20 minutes from end to end claim. So......no stops along the way then? If you live anywhere OTHER than an endpoint, looks like you'll be getting your steps in.

[@totallyskint5899]

How do they intend to fill it and stop it turning into a slum