Throughout history, utopian societies have been depicted in novels as mere figments of imagination. Yet, Saudi Arabia is attempting to make this fiction a reality. The Line is a linear smart city being built in Saudi Arabia that is currently facing rampant controversy. 

This city will be run completely off renewable energy, meaning that there will be no cars and everyone will either walk or take public transportation, specifically a high-speed rail system, in order to decrease the amount of fossil fuel emissions. The Line will be 105 miles long according to NEOM, the official site for The Line, making it easily accessible for residents to be able to walk around and get anywhere within minutes. This city will be dedicated to environmentalism, with NEOM  stating that 95% of this land will be devoted to green space. The idea is that nature will not be contained, and vines will be allowed to climb up walls and animals can roam freely with minimal contact. It is expected that nine million people will be able to live in The Line with construction expected to be complete by 2030. 

Despite the environmentalism and seemingly perfect ideas, many oppose the idea of this city. One of the biggest criticisms about The Line is the use of AI. According to Parametric Architecture, The Line communities will be powered by AI. NEOM states that it will be used to enhance daily living, but has given few specifics, leaving many to speculate about the exact role of this AI. Many also bring up the fact that only the wealthy will be able to afford to live in The Line, creating a greater wealth gap in Saudi Arabia. Though it has not been confirmed that people will have to pay to live in the city because of the amount of AI and advanced technology used, it is expected. Additionally, any younger generation that is brought up in the city will never have knowledge about the outside world unless they had to leave. Not only are there criticisms about what the city will involve, but also about the location. TheSkimm states that the Huwaitat tribe have lived in Tabuk, where The Line is being built, for centuries. They have now been forcefully evicted in order to make The Line a reality. NEOM reports that the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, has started to claim that The Line will be a haven and talks about putting human life first, yet he is forcing people out of their own homes, bringing up questions of morality.

Though The Line does have many positive factors, it is faced with negatives too. The Line is meant to put an end to many issues, such as poverty, yet little information has been released about the actual realization of these goals. The question remains as to if Mohammaed bin Salman will keep his promise of putting humans first or if choosing greed will be the true reality of the project.