The Line

The world's population has risen from 7 billion to 8 billion in 12 years, and by 2030 it is predicted that 1 in 4 people will live in a slum (Phillip, 2022) due to 2 main reasons: overpopulation and the lack of support for impoverished people. The amount of disenfranchised people within these countries creates a cyclical routine of poverty; this means that most people within these areas and their subsequent relatives will never leave poverty. 

The Line project in Saudi Arabia is one of the proposed solutions to the problem of overpopulation. The idea is that The Line will be a length of 110 miles, where everything will be within The Line, with no cars or carbon emissions, with it being able to populate over 9 million people. The Line will run off 100% renewable energy, and residents will have access to all amenities within a five-minute walk (Pendleton et al., 2021). Suppose the Line is just as successful as it is being pitched to the world; it could help mitigate the overpopulation and climate crises. The mega-city is set to run on 100% renewable energy; executives have also promised that 95% of the land will be preserved for nature, which will heavily contribute to limiting the effects of climate change as this will allow for nature to thrive in Saudi Arabia (Pendleton et al., 2021). 

Although The Line seems like the ideal solution to overpopulation, people have a few concerns. The immediate reservation about the line project is residents not having all of their needs met within the city, as human needs can be hard to predict, causing people to be unhappy and therefore want to leave (Green, 2022). Although this is a concern, over time, the Line will develop, as ordinary cities do, to meet more people's needs so it will be challenging from the get-go. However, over time it will develop into a more accessible place where more of the population's needs are met. 

Since starting construction of the Line, questions have been raised about the migration of birds as the Line, like any blockage in the land, can cause birds not to be able to migrate as normal (Sterry, 2022). Due to its height, the Line could also cause an increase in bird fatalities. Bird fatalities could be caused by birds colliding with the walls of the Line, especially if the walls are mirrors rather than a material like a brick. Studies in 2014 showed that around 44% of bird deaths in the UK were due to collisions with houses of only three stories, which is significantly smaller than the Line's current proposed height (Lowe, 2019).

A huge issue with the security of the Line is if there were to be a problem, such as a terrorist attack or a stoppage on the railway tracks, it would cause people to be unable to travel home. The lack of variation between different transport links causes problems to shut down the city. The lack of security will have to be a massive focus of the scheme going forward to mitigate the risks surrounding crime and terrorism within The Line.

Ultimately the core idea behind the Line: building up rather than building more is a good idea for future cities. It has been a technique used in many countries across Europe, including the Netherlands, and has been hugely successful (UNStudio, 2019). However, having the area so intertwined can cause significant social, environmental and security issues. Although this project seems optimistic, it will be a moment of learning rather than the future of urban planning.

REFERENCES

designboom, p. (2021) saudi arabia unveils THE LINE, a linear development of smart cities connected without cars, designboom | architecture & design magazine. Available at: https://www.designboom.com/architecture/saudi-arabia-the-line-smart-cities-without-cars-01-12-2021/ (Accessed: 20 December 2022).

Designing for Density: Upwards, Outwards and Onwards | UNStudio | IGS (2019). Available at: https://igsmag.com/features/architecture/designing-for-density-upwards-outwards-and-onwards-unstudio/ (Accessed: 16 December 2022).

Green, H. (2022) The truth about Line (2022) TikTok. Available at: https://www.tiktok.com/@hankgreen1/video/7125583252559056134?is_from_webapp=v1&item_id=7125583252559056134 (Accessed: December 1, 2022).

Lowe, J. (2019) Birds Flying Into Windows? Truths About Birds & Glass Collisions from ABC Experts, American Bird Conservancy. Available at: https://abcbirds.org/blog/truth-about-birds-and-glass-collisions/#:~:text=Individual%20skyscrapers%20can%20be%20quite,median%20estimate%20of%20599%20million. (Accessed: 1 December 2022).

Pendleton, G., Oakes, J. and Vives, A. (2021) The Line, THE LINE. Available at: https://www.neom.com/en-us/regions/theline (Accessed: December 1, 2022).

Phillip, K. (2022) The world's largest slums: Dharavi, Kibera, khayelitsha & neza, Habitat for Humanity GB. Available at: https://www.habitatforhumanity.org.uk/blog/2017/12/the-worlds-largest-slums-dharavi-kibera-khayelitsha-neza/ (Accessed: December 1, 2022).

Schuetz, J. (2022) Four reasons why more public housing isn't the solution to affordability concerns, Brookings. Brookings. Available at: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2021/01/14/four-reasons-why-more-public-housing-isnt-the-solution-to-affordability-concerns/ (Accessed: December 1, 2022).

THE LINE (2022). Available at: https://www.neom.com/en-us/regions/theline (Accessed: 20 December 2022).

The Line: Saudi Arabia to build 75-mile long 'earthscraper' city (2022). Available at: https://globetrender.com/2022/07/27/the-line-saudi-arabia-earthscraper-city/ (Accessed: 20 December 2022).

What is a Slum? Definition of a Global Housing Crisis (2022). Available at: https://www.habitatforhumanity.org.uk/what-we-do/slum-rehabilitation/what-is-a-slum/ (Accessed: 20 December 2022).