this post was submitted on 11 Apr 2024
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Saudi Arabia’s wildly ambitious plan to build 500m tall, mirrored, 170km long parallel skyscrapers, forming a 1.5M population desert city has been curtailed to 2.4km long.

The news was broken by the financial news publication Bloomberg, which said that Saudi Arabia’s government had “scaled back its medium-term ambitions” for Neom, of which The Line is the most significant sub-project.

The Saudi government had hoped to have 1.5M residents living in The Line by 2030, but this has been scaled back to fewer than 300,000, according to the report. It is unclear how it intends to house a higher concentration of people considering the proposed length (and therefore area) has been massively slashed.

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[–] FlyingSquid 96 points 8 months ago (2 children)

The stupidest idea for a city that I've ever heard has gotten marginally less stupid.

At least now you can get from one side to the other quickly in an emergency.

Not that they'll even build these 2.4 km.

[–] [email protected] 29 points 8 months ago (3 children)

I think it came up like this: Saudi king at his last visit at Chinese Wall. „Uw, one can see it from the space? That’s awesome.“ At home: „Servants, build something as big as the Chinese Wall that is visible from the space, so everyone sees how great I am.“

[–] [email protected] 19 points 8 months ago (3 children)

I'm pretty sure the whole "can be seen from space" is wrong.

[–] RGB3x3 25 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Ever used Google Maps? Everything can be seen from space.

[–] june 16 points 8 months ago

Some things are too small to be seen from anywhere.

Like ur dick

lol gottem

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago (1 children)

You can't see it with the naked eye, but only with magnification

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago

That's just existing with extra steps.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

As if he cares

[–] Diplomjodler3 9 points 8 months ago

It was the crown prince, not the king, but I'm pretty sure that's more or less how it went.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago (1 children)

That would be crown prince Mohammad bin Salman, because king Salman has retired in all but name

[–] WhatAmLemmy 12 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Is that bone saw cunt, or some other auth piece of shit cunt?

[–] [email protected] 11 points 8 months ago (2 children)
[–] FlyingSquid 12 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I live in the city (Terre Haute, Indiana) where Mr. Kashoggi, the man who was murdered by MBS, went to school (Indiana State University) and there was very little outcry, which saddened me greatly.

[–] Confused_Emus 7 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Well yeah, he wasn’t white.

[–] FlyingSquid 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Honestly, that is not a big Terre Haute problem today compared to a lot of Indiana. While it is still by far majority white, there is a sizable black population compared to a lot of other Indiana towns this size and there's no "black part of town," it's thoroughly integrated. As far as Kashoggi is concerned, there also is a large enough local Muslim population to support a mosque. ISU is also a progressive school despite being in Indiana they are very big on multiculturalism. I don't know what the Muslim population of the school is, but enough that you would notice and the school does have public celebrations of holidays like Eid, so it was actually surprising.

Now, I admit that was not always the case. In fact, a little over a century ago, Terre Haute was the site of an absolutely horrific lynching of a black man. And, of course, since this is Indiana, there is not a total lack of racism. But compared to other parts of the state I've been to, it's doing relatively well on that front.

[–] Confused_Emus 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I was thinking more of the systemic racism that’s supposedly not a thing in America depending on how far in the sand one’s head is buried. Definitely happy to know sentiments are improving locally, though.

[–] FlyingSquid 2 points 8 months ago

Oh there's definitely that everywhere, for sure. I just was surprised it wasn't a big deal at least at ISU, but it wasn't. I know because I not only worked there at the time, but in the marketing department taking photos and videos of ISU events of pretty much any sort and no one in my department was sent to document anything.

[–] WhatAmLemmy 1 points 8 months ago

Oh thank god it's an ally of the free world and not some bad guy.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago

Yes it’s Mr Bone Saw

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Ask anyone who's ever built a house and they can tell you what a stupid fucking idea it would be to have a foundation that large.

[–] FlyingSquid 8 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Even if they somehow had some magical way to solve the foundation issue, with the original plan... could you imagine having to go from one part of the city to another for pretty much any reason? In a linear city? You better hope that other part is really close. Especially if it's a personal medical issue or a dying loved one.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 8 months ago (4 children)

Also: this city has only one road. How is traffic going to be? Better hope you somehow get a flat near your work, and that everyone else does too, and that nobody ever moves or cha'mnges job for any reason. This is such a horsehit project I'm surprised the guy who proposed it didn't get thrown out of the window like in the meme.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Their plan was to have most people commute by train and have a veritable army of self-driving trains. That's easily the most well thought part of the harebrained idea.

[–] Zron 3 points 8 months ago

Not just train

Hyperloop

You know the thing that totally exists and wasn’t a scam to stop California from installing high speed rail that would cut into a certain company’s EV sales.

[–] FlyingSquid 5 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Never mind commuter traffic, imagine how long it would take necessary commodities to the right places in a timely manner!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago

I never looked into it more than a tertiary "Holy shit that looks dumb," and yet somehow it's even dumber than I thought!

[–] HappycamperNZ 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I mean, how is it any different to any other multi km wide city?

[–] FlyingSquid 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

For one thing, you can avoid congestion.

[–] HappycamperNZ 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Sorry, I mean those saying I hope you don't need to get to the other side, or what if you move.

[–] FlyingSquid 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Like I said- if you need to get to the other side of a normal city, you can avoid congestion by taking a different route.

In a linear city, there is only one route. If there is a traffic jam or a train derailment in a linear city, there are no alternative routes. Not even for an ambulance.

[–] HappycamperNZ 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I would assume you have two routes, one either side, both directions for this exact reason.

If anything it will be more reliable and cost effective as every mass transit can be used by anyone.

[–] FlyingSquid 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

It's very easy for one truck crash to block off both directions of a road. Even a very wide road. I know because I've experienced it.

I'm really not sure why you don't understand why having multiple alternate routes from A to B would be a big advantage.

[–] HappycamperNZ 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Im saying two separate highways, one on either side rather than two directions next to each other.

I live in a city full of peninsulas and harbours - well aware how much it sucks having one way in and out of places. The difference is that they were never planned and designed for current volumes, vehicles and logistics - this can be.

[–] FlyingSquid 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

So two truck accidents could clog up the entire city. Again, seems like having alternate routes would be an advantage.

[–] HappycamperNZ 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

And three separate incidents that also breach both lanes, cant be cleared quickly and happen at the same time can block three.

[–] FlyingSquid 1 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Can they be cleared quickly? Because I've sure been in traffic due to wrecks that block off both sides of a divided highway for hours. Except they could divert traffic to the nearest exit.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

I thought the proposed plans had multiple level high speed rails inside?

[–] [email protected] -1 points 8 months ago

Oh, I know that one - Tesla would solve it with hyperloop and boring /s

[–] gimpchrist 3 points 8 months ago

This is a good place to have elon's little super tube!!