We won’t be the ones to deny the allure of Saudi Arabia’s ambitious megacity The Line—a 170-kilometer-long straight line in the middle of the desert, flanked by two 500-meter-high walls enclosing a narrow but remarkably long city.
The concept promised that every home would have access to essential services—schools, supermarkets, medical centers, and more—within 15 minutes. Yet, despite its futuristic vision, the project has stalled almost from the outset.
The costs of building such a science-fiction-like city have proven to be…
