Saudi plans mega skyscraper city just 200 metres wide and 100 miles long
The Saudi Press Agency released a video offering a glimpse of what the new city could look like
Saudi Arabia is planning to build a city just 200 metres wide and 170 kilometres long, flanked by 500 metre-high mirrors facing the surrounding landscape.
Called ‘The Line’, designers claim it will run on renewable energy and “puts nature ahead of development” in what they describe as a “civilizational revolution.”
The city would be home to nine million residents in vertically-stacked neighbourhoods, built over an area of 34 square kilometres – slightly smaller than Ipswich, which has a population of around 136,000.
Despite the long and thin shape to the city, Saudi planners say it would take commuters just 20 minutes to cross from end to the other, thanks to high-speed rail.
Claiming to “prioritise people's health and well-being”, the city would have an “ideal climate all year round” so people can “enjoy surrounding nature when walking around.”
“The Line will have an outer mirror facade that will provide its unique character and allow even its small footprint to blend with nature,” the Saudi Press Agency said.
“The interior will be built to create extraordinary experiences and magical moments.”
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman first announced the plans last year and this week designers unveiled a video offering a tour through the new world.
It hasn’t come without criticism, however, with reports of resistance from a tribe expected to relocate to make way for the new city.
Some on social media have also highlighted the state’s role in the crisis unfolding in Yemen – where Saudi weapons have caused widespread devastation – as a stark contrast to the expensive plans.
“At The Line’s launch last year, we committed to a civilizational revolution that puts humans first based on a radical change in urban planning,” the crown prince said.
“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.”
“We cannot ignore the livability and environmental crises facing our world’s cities,” he added.