Saudi Arabia is looking to create a city which will surpass all science fiction fantasies. Climate change problem is a serious problem and this fact is even acknowledged by Saudi Arabia which is a major oil producing and exporting nation. A futuristic carbon neutral city called the line with no cars and floating elevators is being planned by Saudi Arabia. This project is basically a 105 mile long skyscraper that will be home for over 9 million people. The line is Saudi Arabia’s version of utopia, a perfect model city that will have perfect climate throughout the year.
This planned smart city will have no cars as all amenities will be available at a five minute difference. Aim is to preserve 95% of all natural surroundings by housing many people in a smaller space. The line is a just a residency project. If any of its residents wants to relax away from its nine million neighbors, he/she will have several options. For example, Silver beach which is a beach made from marble instead of sand, Trojena which will have skiing all year round and mountaineering activities and artificial lake. Oxagon, a floating port city which will innovate and research innovative uses of clean energy including manufacture of fuel cells and completely the automate supply chain and other transportation logistics to make sure that we don’t face another supply chain crisis.
Saudi Arabia is leaving no stone unturned by making its crown prince’s dream come true. The country has spent billions of dollars already in planning this project and plans to spend another $80 billion through an IPO. So far there’s little to show for the money spent and the project has had several human resource issues also with lots of advisors and workers leaving. Because the plan for this futuristic city keeps changing and the planners are shammed for not spending enough money. Most workers want to cash in as much wealth as they can from this oil rich city and wash their hands off this project. The success or failure of this project will tell us more about smart cities and their role in sustainability for a better way of life.