In the heart of the Saudi desert, a colossal project advances with endless machines, cranes, and workers shaping the sands that will host an unprecedented metropolis. Earlier reports described it as a linear city. It stretches 170 kilometers in length, 200 meters wide, and rises 500 meters high. The Saudi regime promotes the initiative as a model of sustainability, yet its true environmental footprint remains a topic of debate.
Critics question whether such a monumental endeavor can be genuinely sustainable given its wide-ranging environmental implications. Architect Luis Lope de Toledo, whose YouTube channel covers these issues, has devoted a detailed analysis to the environmental and livability aspects of this unique city. His assessment labels the project utopian and impractical, and certainly not a straightforward model of sustainability.
One striking element is the building’s wall, which will be clad entirely in reflective mirrors. The question arises: what impact will this have on local wildlife? Birds in the region may face disrupted migration routes, and many could suffer from window strikes because the mirrors could render the wall nearly invisible to them, according to Lope de Toledo.
But questions about sustainability extend beyond wildlife. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has asserted that the city will eventually achieve a zero-carbon footprint. Critics counter that the enormous carbon costs incurred during construction are likely to outweigh any long-term environmental benefits, according to the architect.
CO2 emissions comparable to London’s total output in four years
Lope de Toledo echoes a concern voiced by Philip Oldfield, director of the School for the Environment in Sydney, Australia: a 500-meter-high building cannot be built with low-carbon materials alone. Constructing The Line would require vast quantities of steel, glass, and concrete. Oldfield estimates that the project could generate more than 1.8 billion tonnes of embodied CO2, roughly equivalent to four years of total emissions from the United Kingdom.
One of the claimed sustainability features is the absence of cars. The project proposes that everything will be within a five-minute walk, facilitated by a 174-kilometer railway line that traverses the city. Proponents argue the line would enable quick travel, but Lope de Toledo notes the speed requirement to meet a 20-minute overall transit time would likely necessitate speeds well above 500 kilometers per hour—far beyond the capabilities of current fast trains, which top out around 460 kilometers per hour. Achieving such a target would demand significant technological breakthroughs.
Other design questions emerge as well. The city would be enclosed by two 500-meter-tall walls and span 200 meters in width. Ventilation and air flow within this constricted space remain largely unaddressed. Some experts suggest a porous skin rather than a mirror-dominated facade to allow air movement, a feature that could influence energy needs and comfort levels.
All of these considerations point to the necessity of air conditioning and advanced ventilation systems, again challenging the sustainability premise. The video does not fully cover the water supply for a population and the irrigation needs of the virtual greenery showcased in recreations. Desalination plants powered by solar energy have been proposed, but many experts question whether renewable energy alone can reliably operate a city of this scale, particularly given the energy and water demands involved.
Construction work is active, with hundreds of excavators, cranes, and other machinery preparing the site for the initial phase. Reports from the local press claim that tens of thousands of piles are used in the foundations, underscoring the scale of the project even before any structures rise above ground.
Overall, the project invites ongoing scrutiny of its sustainability claims and practical feasibility, weighing ambitious design against environmental realities and the challenges of delivering on such a bold vision.
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