Why Build Housing When You Can Build a Data Center?
Gizmodo • • world
Key Points:
- Saudi Arabia's ambitious Neom megacity project, envisioned as a futuristic, car-free city called The Line, is being significantly downsized and may shift focus from a human hub to a data center and AI hub.
- The Line was originally planned as a 110-mile-long linear city housing up to nine million people, with innovative transportation allowing travel end-to-end in 20 minutes, but progress has been hampered by delays, budget overruns, and design challenges.
- The project has faced leadership instability, with the CEO resigning abruptly, and growing skepticism has led to scaling back from grand architectural ideas to a smaller proof of concept.
- Human rights concerns have marred the project, including forced evictions, executions, and
