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End of the Line? Saudi Arabia to scale back plans for desert megacity

theguardian.com

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Re: End of the Line? Saudi Arabia to scale back plans for desert megacity

#281

Post by itsoktocry »

keiferski wrote: post #146
tomp wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Switzerland isn't the most progressive of countries (it only gave women the right to vote in 1971) but AFAIK you don't go to jail if you fuck a man in the ass, in contrast to UAE. Not something that directly concerns me, but I'm personally more worried about restrictions on freedom of speech, but regardless not somewhere I'd be willing to live (I currently do live in Switzerland).

I used Switzerland as an example because of its financial industry. I wasn’t making any commentary on the culture. Presumably if the UAE is the Switzerland of the Middle East and Indian Ocean, it’s more adapted for that cultural environment and not for what Westerners are looking for. These laws are also pretty much never enforced in UAE, as far as I understand.

>These laws are also pretty much never enforced in UAE, as far as I understand.

They are never enforced, until you become a target, then you're arrested and charged with a list violations.

I mean, we do this too, to some degree. But this is naive.

Re: End of the Line? Saudi Arabia to scale back plans for desert megacity

#282

Post by theshackleford »

keiferski wrote: post #105

Are there any forums like HN but for architecture, and not prone to devolving into sociopolitical criticism, and instead focusing on the structures themselves? I find experimental architecture fascinating and would rather discuss the merits and flaws of the design itself. Neom reminds me of Łódź, a city in Poland that is built around a single 5km long street. It’s quite cool and the simple geometry is aesthetically a…

> would rather discuss the merits

There are none and as such there is nothing to discuss.

Re: End of the Line? Saudi Arabia to scale back plans for desert megacity

#283

Post by gabesullice »

bdjsiqoocwk wrote: post #112
sztanko wrote: post #82

Economics explained YouTube channel has a good coverage on the rationale behind the crazy projects like this. In short, while the project itself might not make much sense, the infrastructure created to build it will stay and it makes it more accommodating to build other, more rational projects. https://youtu.be/pnrAxfzHElo?si=ceaS6MIs7qrP9ohL

Complete bullshit. If you're only building a mega project so you're forced to develop the infrastructure around it, why don't you choose a sensible megaproject instead? Answer: because that's not why they're doing it, you just made that up.

Apollo

Re: End of the Line? Saudi Arabia to scale back plans for desert megacity

#284

Post by RivieraKid »

jannw wrote: post #85
gherkinnn wrote: post #19

The whole idea of a linear city is daft. A circle is way more efficient at getting around. The dimensions of the Line are, of course, silly as well.

Not so daft if you consider that it is easier to segment, stratify, and control people in a linear city, as the structure itself acts as a continuous and infinitely adaptable choke point. This seems consistent with Saudi elite's ideas on managing their society.

But that would only make sense if most people lived in a line city.

There are much more effective ways to achieve population control than building line cities and moving people into them.

Re: End of the Line? Saudi Arabia to scale back plans for desert megacity

#285

Post by pfdietz »

slifin wrote: post #62

I'm surprised there isn't a bigger movement to intentionally boycott buying fuel from countries like this A lot of people in western countries indirectly pay for this

Boycotts are largely useless. What's useful is technological alternatives.

You can thank all the engineers and business people working on batteries, electric vehicles, and other petroleum alternatives.

Re: End of the Line? Saudi Arabia to scale back plans for desert megacity

#286

Post by zaphirplane »

ponector wrote: post #257
tomp wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Switzerland isn't the most progressive of countries (it only gave women the right to vote in 1971) but AFAIK you don't go to jail if you fuck a man in the ass, in contrast to UAE. Not something that directly concerns me, but I'm personally more worried about restrictions on freedom of speech, but regardless not somewhere I'd be willing to live (I currently do live in Switzerland).

Why so harsh example? This one is better: a woman in UAE went to the doctor(gynecologist) and ended up in jail because doctor found out she is pregnant but not married.

In America a black man driving a clean car can be pulled over and shot dead by police

In many American states a raped woman has to carry her rapist off spring to term

In America black people are significantly over represented in jails, poverty, illiteracy, single parent families.

I’m sure the 5 largest western democracies have similar issues

Re: End of the Line? Saudi Arabia to scale back plans for desert megacity

#287

Post by temporarely »

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #104
somenameforme wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's not really what that was about, at all. I think most don't understand the state of Saudi Arabia. Modern Saudi Arabia was only founded in 1932, but the really interesting thing is that the founding king also had around 100 children, including 45 sons. And those sons also had tons of children. So there are thousands of direct lineage legitimate princes and princesses in Saudi Arabia, in a country of just 33 mill…

> there are thousands of direct lineage legitimate princes and princesses in Saudi Arabia Who do you think MBS was purging in '17? Other royals. Rich royals. Competition for the throne.

He was purging family members who were more loyal to CIA than the kingdom. He did that and then pivoted to China and Russia. (Bandar Bush ring a bell? )That is why he is vilified. Otherwise, he would be yet another Arab autocrat and US never had any problem with those, no matter what they did. This guy is guilty of being headstrong and independent..

Re: End of the Line? Saudi Arabia to scale back plans for desert megacity

#288

Post by bombcar »

leoedin wrote: post #56
gherkinnn wrote: post #19

The whole idea of a linear city is daft. A circle is way more efficient at getting around. The dimensions of the Line are, of course, silly as well.

Yeah, I'm really struggling to understand why a linear city is appealing. I suppose if you set a hard limit of one train line in your city, then building it along that train line might make sense. You'd spend a lot of time on that one train line though - and I imagine in the central bits it would get really really busy as people are trying to get to the other end. And what happens if that train line breaks? Making a…

If you have a requirement to build a city where everyone is within 1 mile of virgin forest, say, then you end up with something much like a line. You could circle it, but that's just another form of line.

Re: End of the Line? Saudi Arabia to scale back plans for desert megacity

#289

Post by mschuster91 »

EduardoBautista wrote: post #271
brtkdotse wrote: post #196

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Official records of real estate transactions have a data point for "closest shopping mall" for a reason. It baffles me that anyone, let alone a bunch of people, would look at this and say “ah, yes, this seems like a good place to live”. To each their own, I guess.

If you’ve ever had a gun or knife pointed at you, trust me that “walkability” is not going to be high on your priorities of what makes a city a good place to live. The UAE is safer than Switzerland.

> The UAE is safer than Switzerland.

And so is Hong Kong and a few other places. The question is, is that worth the cost? A cost that's mostly hidden from public view and scrutiny?

Re: End of the Line? Saudi Arabia to scale back plans for desert megacity

#290

Post by pfdietz »

gabesullice wrote: post #283
bdjsiqoocwk wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Complete bullshit. If you're only building a mega project so you're forced to develop the infrastructure around it, why don't you choose a sensible megaproject instead? Answer: because that's not why they're doing it, you just made that up.

Apollo

Apollo was a national vanity project that has been rationalized by exaggerating the spinoffs.
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