Saudi Arabia's "The Line" -- why?

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SUMMARY

Saudi Arabia's "The Line" is a proposed linear city design that raises significant questions about its practicality and benefits. Critics highlight issues such as maximized distances between essential services, potential sunlight blockage, and single points of failure in transportation. Some argue that the design may serve a purpose in hot climates by providing shaded streets, while others suggest that the ambitious goals of 100% clean energy and AI integration may simply serve as a facade for a project driven by excess funding. The discussion emphasizes the need for a clear rationale behind such an unconventional urban layout.

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person123
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I just found out about Saudi Arabia's "The Line", and I don't want to mock it with my very limited knowledge (I honestly would have thought it was satire), or bring up politics behind it, or go into its lofty goals like 100% clean energy or life enhanced by AI. To me, the first question is just what the point of the basic design is.

Is there any reason at all to construct a city between two walls in a line? Distances between things would be maximized in a line, sunlight would be blocked off, the transportation along the line would have single points of failure etc. It just immediately seems like a really bad idea, and I can't find any explanation for why it's a good idea. I'm curious if anyone has ideas on practical benefits for this design.
 
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person123 said:
sunlight would be blocked off

Actually that's the only thing of these you listed that can be good, streets in hot climates are often narrow to keep them shadowy and a bit cooler (think Mediterranean).
 
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person123 said:
Is there any reason
Don't overthink it. Sometimes (especially when too much money is involved) it's just 'because we can' and all the rest: the life-improving AI, the lofty ideas and politics are just added on as a veil.
 
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