The planned Saudi linear city revives a 19th century idea

Cities must have a beating heart. Photo by Pedro Lastra on Unsplash

Politico’s ‘Living Cities’ edition had a fascinating piece the other day on the linear city, which is apparently a 19th century concept that newly got traction from the 170-kilometer long city the Saudis are building.

The Saudi city, The Line, is being built by NEOM, a company founded by the country’s Crown Prince. The Line is supposed to have a high-speed train, which will serve to a link the 9 million people expected to live there eventually. That’s pretty similar, Politico says, to the tram that ran the length of Madrid’s Ciudad Lineal, a pilot project that was built to the idea conceived by Spanish urbanist Arturo Soria in 1882. Politico’s description of the place is quite charming: “Homes were built around a wide, central boulevard, with a tram running the entire length; the back of the buildings opened up to plots of land where residents could grow flowers or vegetables. Access to clean air and green spaces meant …