The Line at a Crossroads: Revisiting NEOM's Vision for a Utopian City
Arts & Culture Climate Change, Energy & Pollution Economic Development Smart CitiesSummary
This ArchDaily article spotlights the Line–NEOM’s once-celebrated linear city in Saudi Arabia–and its unravelling under significant financial, physical, and political strain. Announced in 2021, the Line was envisioned as a 170-kilometer, car-free, mirrored linear city designed to house nine million people. Described as a “Zero Gravity Urbanism” model, it would comprise vertically layered, walkable communities connected by high-speed rail. This project critiqued conventional urban planning and its modern challenges such as urban sprawl, car-dependency, degrading landscapes, and overconsumption of resources.
Over time, however, escalating costs, undiscovered environmental impacts, social and governance concerns, and unproven technologies forced repeated scale-backs. By 2025, more than $50 billion had been spent, population targets were significantly reduced, and only two kilometres of construction had been completed before work was suspended.
While the article affirms the value of visionary urban thinking, it stresses that such ambitious thinking must be matched by rigorous feasibility analysis, transparent governance, and meaningful community engagement to shape future cities responsibly.