- The revolutionary concept supercharges the 15 minute city concept.
- 80,000 people are to live within five minute boroughs or 'catchments'.
- Concept takes aim at emissions, health, and other human challenges.
170km long. 500m high. 200m wide. These are the proposed specifications for a revolutionary new city concept called THE LINE that, once complete, is envisioned to be home to around nine million people.
The concept is one third of the overall NEOM project being spearheaded by the Public Investment Fund in Saudi Arabia.
THE LINE takes the 15-minute city concept, whereby residents can reach all necessary amenities within a 15 minute walk, and supercharges it to a 5-minute walk with around 80,000 people situated in each 5-minute catchment. By way of comparison, in Manhattan around 25,000 people live within a 5-minute walk of each other.
NEOM Executive Director Urban Planning Tarek Qaddumi said THE LINE is a response to some of the world’s greatest challenges: the impact of car mobility, sub-optimal livability conditions, urban sprawl, environmental sustainability, climate change and social disconnection.
“These challenges require us to urgently rethink how we can design our cities in a way that finally puts people first,” Mr Qaddumi said.
“THE LINE’s unprecedented Zero Gravity Urbanism organizes buildings and urban functions into multiple ground planes at height. We’re excited to offer the world the first fully-fledged vertical, three-dimensional city that will eliminate the need for cars, as daily needs and services will be only a 5-minute walk away for every resident.
“Within this vertical typology, hyper-proximity will become the new normal: a new urban phenomenon by which more people can come closer together than ever before imaginable, promoting exceptional social interaction and cultural exchange.”
The concept is far removed from the horizontal cityscapes we are accustomed to, however if successful the vertically integrated concept has the potential to revolutionise the way we live.
“We see THE LINE as a model for future climate resilience, with ground-breaking research and innovation happening here,” Mr Qaddumi said.
“With THE LINE, we’ve done a lot of research: mapping coral, dry valleys, groundwater, and animal and bird migration, species re-introduction and ecological restoration in our nature reserves. We’re also studying wind and other climate impacts to ensure the feasibility of the project from a climate and environmental standpoint.”
2030 deadline for first 9 million in THE LINE
According to Mr Qaddumi, the biggest challenge currently facing THE LINE is the limits of its own success. The project team are currently conducting an enormous number of studies and research streams to develop and grow the project.
He says the project finds itself immersed in ‘blue sky thinking’ as they imagine how life can be different on THE LINE, however they have already started construction and are well into the execution phase.
“The greatest challenge then becomes how to run these two priorities in parallel – we are putting a huge effort into keeping the dialogue going between these two streams of work,” he said. “Each constantly complements the other, with the research motivating disruptive innovation in our thinking as we remain sharply focused on delivery.”
The first modules of THE LINE are set to be completed in the coming years, with the first substantial population living on THE LINE estimated to be about a million plus people by 2030. The eventual capacity of THE LINE is 9 million people.
“It’s a city that will continue to grow organically,” Mr Qaddumi said. “Nine million people is equivalent to the population of Greater London or New York City with its five boroughs. One can see that this is going to be an organic process that will take years.”
A solution to isolation and inequality?
The project is being defined as an example of Zero Gravity Urbanism whereby all residents have equitable immediate access to nature, social and commercial services within a 5-minute walk, and most importantly, promoting inclusion through social connectivity by its very design.
Mr Qaddumi said that by removing the need for cars and by designing a layered urban infrastructure, THE LINE can further ease urban barriers that currently limit social inclusion.
“We hope that these vertical planning and design principles can be incorporated into the planning of other cities,” he said. “Building vertically benefits humanity, not only from a social viewpoint, but also from a profound economic and environmental perspective.
“We aim to bring health and joy back into the city.” Tarek Qaddumi
“We also hope to give people back their time instead of being occupied with tedious, daily tasks or lengthy commutes. We’d like to make more time for hobbies, for interests, for friends. Until then, we’ll face challenges and difficulties like any other project, but we have the ambition to make a radical and positive change in urban life.
“In NEOM, we are designing THE LINE to take advantage of the latest advanced technologies and innovations, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), 3D printing, robotic automation, connected infrastructure and predictive technology to build the world’s first cognitive city.
“THE LINE will also lead in other sectors such as health, education, infrastructure, recreation and tourism.
“Lessons learned at NEOM can be shared with the rest the world to benefit the future of urbanization and humanity as a whole and not just THE LINE alone. NEOM intends to join and lead some of the conversations around many of these areas and is keen to share its process and findings with other cities.”
From the ground up
As part of conceptualizing the idea behind THE LINE, NEOM have shared videos of what Manhattan, Riyadh, Los Angeles and Kensington in London would look like if built vertically to showcase the potential of 3D urbanism to protect nature, redefine social interactions and re-consider the spatial distribution of services and amenities.
According to Mr Qaddumi THE LINE has universal characteristics, such as 3D urbanism that can be transferred directly to anywhere. However, he said particular, site-specific aspects have to be studied in every location and that a project of this scale is easier when planned and designed from the ground up.
“Existing cities, with their legacy infrastructure, don’t have the luxury of building from the ground up, but many governments and municipalities are integrating new vertical urban structures into their planning,” Mr Qaddumi said. “For instance, vertical farming – an important aspect of smart agriculture – is expanding rapidly in Eastern Asia and particularly in Japan, China and Singapore. We believe that elements of this typology will make their way into existing cities.
“Building complex vertical structures to include different work, commercial and residential facilities, along with green spaces, has become a highly anticipated idea in many countries worldwide” he said.
It will be an interesting project to keep an eye on with the success of THE LINE possibly having far reaching potential for the shape and design of cities well into the future.
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This story was originally published in The Urbanist magazine, an official publication of the Urban Development Institute of Australia (WA). It has been edited for republication by The Property Tribune.
The Property Tribune thanks the UDIA WA for the opportunity to republish the work, and share thought leadership in relation to urban development and community creation with our readers.
Read the original copy of The Urbanist by heading to UDIA WA’s website under the News tab.
