Saudi Arabia plans an

[spintheblackcircle]

Saudi Arabia announces new eco-city with 'zero cars, zero streets and zero carbon emissions' | Daily Mail Online

It consists of 'a city of a million residents with a length of 170 kilometres that preserves 95 percent of nature within NEOM, with zero cars, zero streets and zero carbon emissions.'

...can a mod please add "eco-city" to the title?

Click to read more...

 

[JMCx4]

Looks like a great place to hide some nuclear defense items. For a rainy day in the desert, of course.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

I'll believe it when i see it. Didnt California try some high speed railroad and they couldn't even figure out how to get that built. This is like 50x more difficult.

 

[JMCx4]

When an argument starts with: "Didn't California try ...", the debate is over.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

I'll believe it when i see it. Didnt California try some high speed railroad and they couldn't even figure out how to get that built. This is like 50x more difficult.

It's a little different in a dictatorship. They just throw masses of workers on a project and dont have to give a shit about laws or how many workers get killed. Louis CK said it right talking about the Pyramids, "They just threw human death and suffering at it until they were finished."

 

[RandV]

I'll believe it when i see it. Didnt California try some high speed railroad and they couldn't even figure out how to get that built. This is like 50x more difficult.

You mean Elon Musk's "Hyperloop"? Yeah that has issues.

Not a bad idea seeing them try something like this but it's going to really be hindered if they're going for some version of a hyperloop.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

You mean Elon Musk's "Hyperloop"? Yeah that has issues.

Not a bad idea seeing them try something like this but it's going to really be hindered if they're going for some version of a hyperloop.

I was thinking about this project:

High-Speed Rail in California | California High-Speed Rail Authority | State of California

 

[RandV]

I was thinking about this project:

High-Speed Rail in California | California High-Speed Rail Authority | State of California

Nothing wrong with a traditional high speed rail, have no comment on California but it's a good idea where appropriate and they've been around for decades. For example just checking the wiki Japans famous Shinkansen/bullet train line has been operating for over 50 years.

On the other hand, this is a hyperloop, the general idea is to create vacuum tubes and shoot smaller sized passenger carriers through it:

Looking at the projects concept image the "Ultra high-speed Transit" looks like a hyperloops vacuum tubes, not high speed rail. A lot of money is getting sunk into the idea right now and there's some small scale test sites but it's still all highly conceptual and controversial - why not just build a maglev train?

 

[JMCx4]

... On the other hand, this is a hyperloop, the general idea is to create vacuum tubes and shoot smaller sized passenger carriers through it:

Looking at the projects concept image the "Ultra high-speed Transit" looks like a hyperloops vacuum tubes, not high speed rail. A lot of money is getting sunk into the idea right now and there's some small scale test sites but it's still all highly conceptual and controversial - why not just build a maglev train?

The salesman who knocked on the front door of the palace didn't have a maglev system in his brochures to show King Salman.

 

[NyQuil]

 

[tarheelhockey]

If you open your mind to the idea, this is an incredibly intriguing project.

It's not just being car-free, which should not be that big of a mental leap considering cars have only been the basis of city design for a little more than one lifetime. The car-free part is something we should assume is coming for cities in general, unless we think cars are going to remain our fundamental mode of daily transportation forever, just like horses have proven to be.

The interesting part is that they're looking at getting rid of streets. That actually is a huge evolutionary leap that challenges the basic layout of all modern cities. Prioritizing the human over the vehicle -- not just the car, but vehicles generally -- would fundamentally change the way urban areas look and feel. It's a fascinating the idea and something that people will likely warm up to very quickly if they can experience it somewhere in real life.

 

[JMCx4]

... The interesting part is that they're looking at getting rid of streets. That actually is a huge evolutionary leap that challenges the basic layout of all modern cities. Prioritizing the human over the vehicle -- not just the car, but vehicles generally -- would fundamentally change the way urban areas look and feel. It's a fascinating the idea and something that people will likely warm up to very quickly if they can experience it somewhere in real life.

Venice, Italy started the trend 1,200 years ago.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Venice, Italy started the trend 1,200 years ago.

Trendsetters!

 

[tarheelhockey]

Venice, Italy started the trend 1,200 years ago.

But seriously, I think in this context a canal is considered a “street”. Basically it’s a matter of removing spaces that are designed to handle vehicles while pedestrians stay out of the way. AFAIK no city has been developed that way since... the Mayans?

 

[JMCx4]

But seriously, I think in this context a canal is considered a “street”. Basically it’s a matter of removing spaces that are designed to handle vehicles while pedestrians stay out of the way. AFAIK no city has been developed that way since... the Mayans?

If there are pedestrians in the canals of Venice, that city has more problems than trend-setting on its hands.