For years people have been pondering about life on Mars, a way to escape the chaos and mess of urban societies on Earth. What if there were a place of such utopia, but still on Earth? There just might be.
In 2030, Saudi Arabia plans to construct a utopian civilizational revolution. This magnificent “city” will seemingly redefine urban development and simultaneously preserve a natural environment. The Line will span 170 kilometers long (105 miles), 500 meters above sea level – higher than the Empire State Building, and 200 meters wide. Oh what wonders technology has granted us!
Among countless questions that arise from this new, futuristic society, there is one colossal curiosity: What is the point?
Interestingly enough, there are four fundamental reasons behind the construction of The Line:
Unparalleled Access to Nature
Although The Line is an urban construct, the goal is to maintain a natural concept. This is where utopia comes into play. The towering walls of The Line will be saturated with nature: mountains, trees, grasslands, canyons and more. A towering 95% of the land will be preserved for nature, and right at your fingertips. No matter where you are, nature will be within 2 minutes access at all times. Utopia? I think yes.
In addition to the easy access to nature, the views are never-seen-before spectacles. It’s almost like living in Avatar, and who wouldn’t want that? Even the outer walls of The Line are geared to reflect nature as they are composed solely of mirrors that camouflage into the surrounding environment.
Not only would nature tower over the urban-feel of The Line, but it also contributes to the crisp, unpolluted air intended to flow throughout the utopia, which leads to our next concept.
Consistently Clean Air
Our global carbon footprint in the modern world is regretfully exponential. The Line aims to foster zero carbon. That’s right, I said it, ZERO carbon. Cars and roads emanate about 41% of carbon emissions globally. That’s 7.3 billion metric tons. It’s a good thing that the construction of The Line excludes all cars and roads.
Along with the abundance of nature purifying the air, the main form of transportation in The Line will be a high-speed rail network called The Spine that carries people from end to end in 20 minutes and also link to the International Airport to the Gulf of Aqaba. How is that efficient for all human needs? According to executive director Giles Pendleton:
“It’s a hierarchical system of mobility and the nice thing about that is that everything goes in the same direction. Whether it’s water, it goes up and then it goes across, it doesn’t spread out like a spiderweb. People will do the same thing because everything runs in a dead straight line, you can run everything adjacent and as efficiently, and fast, as possible”
Maybe without car accidents and much less greenhouse gas emissions, people living here will live longer. Utopia!
More Time Spent Together
Not only can you travel from one end of The Line to the other in 20 minutes, but you can also hop on and off the high-speed rail in the many stops it will reap. The Spine will travel to multiple levels of The Line, not just side to side. This makes for smooth and swift transportation. In addition, these services will be operated by Artificial Intelligence. Tell me…how much more utopia can it get??
In addition to easy access, almost every amenity is guaranteed to be in close proximity due to the many vertical, rather than horizontal, levels. This way, family and friends will always be up close and personal.
365 Days of Perfect Climate
The nature and overall dynamic of The Line will be designed to suit year-round, optimally balanced weather and temperature.
There will be equal distribution of sunlight, shade, and natural ventilation. You might think that sunlight would be incredibly limited due to the enormous walls. This is not the case. The big open space in the top of The Line allows for natural ventilation and the walls are penetrable by the sun, however, to a comfortable extent. It allows for more sunlight without the unbearable heat and irritating winds.
The best part about The Line is that it showcases the unmatched volumes technology has come to in today’s world. Technology has modernized the way humankind experiences life. Our dependence on technology has increased drastically over the past several decades. It has made interacting with others, obtaining information, and completing everyday tasks much more efficient globally.
It has improved our standard of living by allowing us access to modern comforts such as smart homes, medical treatments, and more. It has also offered us a virtual space for socializing – an area where we can engage in meaningful conversations from the comfort of our homes. Now it might even lead us to a real-life, livable utopia. Technology is an invaluable tool for humanity and its increasing presence will no doubt improve our quality of living overall.
-MoMo
