NEOM will share the key concepts behind THE LINE megadevelopment at an architectural conference in Venice, Italy this month.
THE LINE, an upcoming city development capable of housing up to 9m people will be the focus of an exhibition at the gathering of leading architects.
The historic Abbazia di San Gregorio in Venice will be home to a landmark exhibition entitled, “Zero Gravity Urbanism – Principles for a New Livability”.
NEOM in Venice
The exhibition features the proposals of world leading architects sharing their work on THE LINE and their contribution to this urban revolution.
Contributors include:
- Morphosis
- Sir Peter Cook
- UNStudio
- Fuksas
- Oyler Wu
- DMAA
- Adjaye
Zero Gravity Urbanism proposes a radical and progressive approach to cities with a sharper view towards balancing nature, livability, and human progress.
In contrast to city development of the last century, it provides a sustainable model that responds to the world’s most pressing environmental and urban challenges, while addressing the need to accommodate a fast-growing urban population.
The proposed model tackles urban sprawl, and climate change.
From a conservation perspective, THE LINE proposes a city that can accommodate up to 9m inhabitants with a land footprint of 2 per cent of that of cities with a similar population.
This allows nature to thrive and contributes to protecting 95 per cent of NEOM’s 26,500sq km land area.
THE LINE is also a model for a city that is fully powered by renewable energy and is supported with sustainable water and food production.
From a human perspective, THE LINE, with its 3D organisation of private and public space, provides universal and equitable access to amenities and services.
It will also ensure all residents have direct views and immediate access to nature. The city is car-free and is composed of hyper mixed-use walkable communities providing five-minute access to daily needs.
Nadhmi Al-Nasr, CEO of NEOM, said: “The work undertaken by NEOM in the past few years will not only be important in the context of THE LINE, but will also in a pro-active and meaningful way, help to engage in the ongoing development of sustainable urban design globally.”
Antoni Vives, Chief Urban Planning Officer of NEOM, said, “68 per cent of the world’s population is expected to be living in urban areas by 2050. The current global urban model driven by the automobile is failing and must be revisited considering its impact on the environment and on people’s wellbeing.”
Tarek Qaddumi, Executive Director of Urban Planning of NEOM, said: “Working on THE LINE with some of the most recognised designers and research institutions has resulted in a significant body of work that re-establishes our urban realm as a space for human and cultural exchange.”
The exhibition runs from 20 May – 24 September 2023 at Abbazia di San Gregorio and will host speaking events, educational programs and round tables, featuring leading architects, academics, and urban thinkers from around the world.
Follow us on
