Saudi Arabia to build NEOM, the city of the future without roads

The project’s main feature is its unusual layout, which has a thin 170-km long line. 

The country’s crown prince Mohammad bin Salman has announced the building of the new city.  It is notable for the complete absence of streets and roads as we know them.  People will be able to move around the city by train or on foot.  A walk to the railway station from any place in the city will take no more than five minutes.

The city’s total length will be 170 km, with construction concentrated adjacent to the railway line.   High-speed trains will pass through every minute.  The decision will save the “city of the future” from traffic jams and road accidents and be beneficial to the environment. 

The city is going to be managed by artificial intelligence and will use green energy.

It may sound ambitious, but people were immediately quite cautious of the project and have started asking questions about it.  Most of the questions concern communication with other cities and the work of social services.  Moreover, it’s still not clear whether such a concept will actually appeal to people.