NEOM to Begin Neighborhood Planning for Phase One of THE LINE in Early 2025

NEOM has announced that neighborhood planning for the initial phase of THE LINE, its visionary linear city in northwest Saudi Arabia, will start in early 2025. This step represents a major milestone in the development of the ambitious, car-free city designed to prioritize sustainability, green spaces, and innovative urban living.

To support this next phase, NEOM has assembled a team of globally recognized design and engineering partners, including Delugan Meissl Associate Architects (DMAA), Gensler, and Mott MacDonald. These firms will bring expertise in urban planning, design, and infrastructure to help realize NEOM’s goals for an eco-conscious, vertically structured city.

DMAA, an architecture firm known for its innovative designs, will lead urban design and master planning for Phase One of THE LINE. The firm’s approach focuses on a vertically oriented urban layout that diverges from conventional city planning, incorporating specialized insights into microclimates, ecology, mobility, logistics, and sustainability. This foundation will guide other neighborhood architects as they begin work in 2025, aligning with NEOM’s eco-friendly and futuristic vision for the city.

Supporting DMAA, the global design firm Gensler has been appointed as the city planning consultant. Gensler’s role includes overseeing city-wide design coordination, setting planning policies, and establishing compliance frameworks to support THE LINE’s development. The firm is also tasked with designing essential city assets, such as transport hubs and public spaces, tailored to the expansive and complex demands of this large-scale project.

Infrastructure engineering will be led by Mott MacDonald, focusing on the sustainability and functionality of the city’s foundational systems. The firm’s expertise in city infrastructure will ensure that structural and utility systems are both efficient and eco-friendly, supporting NEOM’s commitment to a highly functional and sustainable urban landscape.

Denis Hickey, Chief Development Officer for THE LINE, emphasized the importance of these partnerships, stating, “As development and construction of THE LINE progresses, we have established a unique partnership that brings world-leading city design and engineering expertise to deliver Phase One.” He highlighted the collaborative nature of the project, describing it as a “city-wide best practice group” intended to showcase how innovation can transform city planning and construction for the future.

The construction of THE LINE is advancing rapidly, with over 120 foundation piles being cast into the ground each week. This extensive operation has made THE LINE one of the largest piling projects worldwide.

Designed without traditional roads or cars, THE LINE aims to combine the energy of city life with natural spaces, creating an urban environment that addresses contemporary urban challenges while promoting environmental harmony. NEOM’s vision for THE LINE is to redefine urban living through sustainable design, aiming to become a global model for eco-friendly cities.