Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday said <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/gulf/neom-everything-you-need-to-know-about-saudi-arabia-s-500-billion-megacity-of-the-future-1.1147655" target="_blank">The Line</a>, in the kingdom’s $500 billion giga-project Neom, will "embody how urban communities will be in the future". Prince Mohammed announced the designs of The Line, which "puts human first, providing an unprecedented urban" living experience while preserving nature. The Line is 200 metres wide, 170 kilometres long, 500 metres above sea level and will be built on 34 square kilometres. “The idea of layering city functions vertically, giving people possibility of moving seamlessly in three dimensions to access them, is a concept referred to as Zero Gravity Urbanism,” Prince Mohammed said. The new concept layers public parks and pedestrian areas, including schools, homes and offices, so people can travel to any place within five minutes, in addition to a high-speed rail with an 'end-to-end transit' of 20 minutes. “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," Prime Mohammed said on Monday. "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." <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/gulf/neom-everything-you-need-to-know-about-saudi-arabia-s-500-billion-megacity-of-the-future-1.1147655">The Line</a> will eventually be home to nine million residents, who will live in interconnected societies with artificial intelligence designed to coexist with nature. "The Line will tackle the challenges facing humanity in urban life today and will shine a light on alternative ways to live,” Prince Mohammed said. “At Neom, we strive to be at the forefront of providing new and innovative solutions, and today we are determined to implement the idea of ‘Building to the Top’ through a team led by Neom and a group of the brightest minds,” he said. The Line was launched in January last year and aims to redefine the concept of urban development and "what cities of the future" would look like. During the launch, the Crown Prince said that by 2050, commuting times will double and a billion people will have to relocate because of rising carbon dioxide emissions and sea levels. "Why should we sacrifice nature for the sake of development?" Prince Mohammed asked. "Why should seven million people die every year because of pollution? "Why should we lose one million people every year to traffic accidents? And why should we accept wasting years of our lives commuting?" The designs of The Line reveal that the city will be free of cars, roads and emissions. It will run completely on renewable energy, giving priority to human health and nature, while construction aims to preserve 95 per cent of Neom’s land. This reduces the amount of land taken up by infrastructure and will help to create "never before seen efficiencies" in city functions. Its ideal climate all year round will ensure that residents can enjoy surrounding nature. Prince Mohammed said people could not ignore the liveability and environmental crises facing the world’s cities. He said Neom was at the "forefront of delivering new and imaginative solutions" to address these problems. Neom will be a place for all people from around the globe to make their mark on the world in creative and innovative ways, Prince Mohammed said. He said Neom remained one of the most important projects in the Saudi Vision 2030, and "our commitment to delivering The Line on behalf of the nation remains resolute". The Line will have an outer mirror façade created by a team of world-renowned architects and engineers, which will allow even its footprint to "blend with nature, and extraordinary experiences and magical moments". The announcement of The Line's designs is a continuation of Neom’s progress in its flagship projects, the Saudi Press Agency reported. They include Oxagon, its reimagined manufacturing and innovation city; and Trojena, its global mountain tourism destination that will offer the Arabian Gulf’s first outdoor skiing, it said. There is also the launch of two of Neom’s subsidiaries: Enowa, its energy, water and hydrogen company; and the Neom Tech and Digital Company, SPA said.
