Loading ...Saudi Arabia is Revolutionizing Urban Development
By: Wael Sultan/Arab America Contributing Writer
Saudi Arabia is building its destiny and reputation away from oil, In fact, it doesn’t want anything to do with oil in the future. This initiative emerged from Saudi Vision 2030, a plan that seeks to reduce the Kingdom’s dependence on fossil fuels, diversify its economy and sustain its longevity.
Possible heading talking about Neom
Saudi Arabia is setting its eyes to achieve the impossible and build a utopian mega-city from scratch. The idea was announced by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman at the 2017 future investment initiative conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Thus Neom was born!
Neom is a planned futuristic smart-city in the Tabuk Province of Saudi Arabia. The name “Neom” is constructed from two words. The first three letters Neo-meaning “new” in Greek, and the last letter “m”, an abbreviation for “Mustagbal”, the Arabic word for “future”.
Located on edge of the stunning Red Sea, and extending towards the Gulf of Aqaba, this region is noted for its moderate climate, scenic views and world-class diving experiences. Astonishingly, this is the only part of Saudi Arabia where snow can be found in the mountains. There’s no doubt that Neom will attract a global audience year-round.
Neom is considered a blueprint for the future, with a whopping price tag of $500 billion, this cognitive-city will be dominated by AI, robotics, self-driving transit and human-machine fusion. Though the project itself faced many difficulties and multiple setbacks. Since the inauguration of the project in 2017, numerous controversies around the Crown Prince emerged, but the aspiration behind Neom kept rising despite all the obstacles.
Possible heading about The line?
Recently in January 2021, Mohammed bin Salman announced significant modifications to the plan. He reintroduced a subsidiary project within Neom called “THE LINE” in a groundbreaking reveal video.
The Line will be 105 miles long (170 km) city stretching from the Red Sea to the mountains northwest of the Kingdom. It will preserve 95% of the regions majestic beauty and is planned to be home for 1 million residents. At only $100 billion, a fraction of the cost of the original project. Construction will commence in the first quarter of 2021.
His Royal Highness stated: “Throughout history, cities were built to protect their citizens. After the Industrial Revolution, cities prioritized machines, cars and factories over people. In cities that are viewed as the world’s most advanced, people spend years of their lives commuting. By 2050, commute durations will double. By 2050, one billion people will have to relocate due to rising CO2 emissions and sea levels. 90% of people breathe polluted air. Why should we sacrifice nature for the sake of development? Why should seven million people die every year because of pollution? Why should we lose one million people every year due to traffic accidents? And why should we accept wasting years of our lives commuting?”
This is the first time in 150 years that a major urban development has been designed around people, not roads. The Line is being planned around walkability first and foremost and that cars and roads would be completely banned. All essential daily services, such as schools, medical clinics, leisure facilities, as well as park and recreation, will be within a five-minute walk. It will supposedly revolutionize the concept of urban planning and design.
According to the official website:
“THE LINE will reimagine the way we approach urban development, overcoming challenges of modern cities and prioritizing people and pedestrians by Replacing cars and streets with walkable distances for a healthy lifestyle. it will be a city integrated with the surrounding nature and ecological preservation. “
The Linear city will consist of three layers.
-The first layer is the surface level, which is dedicated 100% to pedestrians and bicyclists in harmony with mother nature.
-The second layer is the first underground layer. Which is mostly service vehicles and taxis that are run by AI technology.
-Finally, the third layer is the second underground layer “the spine”. It will consist of an Ultra-high-speed transit system connecting the whole city (105 miles) within 20 minutes.
Possible about “conclusion”
The Line is an ambitious plan to write the future of humanity. It’s a subsidiary plan within Neom that is evolving the way humans live, work, commute and interact. Using modern-day State-of-the-art technology and AI advancement to upgrade the quality of life for all.
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