Cyril’s forgotten City

[View this email in your browser]( [Mail & Guardian]( [Mail & Guardian]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [YouTube]( Hi there The Saudis weren’t bluffing. [New satellite images]( this week showed that construction has begun on “The Line” – the proposed new linear megacity set to run through the desert. The concept art for the project, if you have not seen it, is undeniably remarkable. A self-contained megalopolis will sit between two mirrored buildings, in total 170km long, 500m tall and just 200m wide. There will be no roads or cars. Nine million people will supposedly call it home shortly after 2030. That’s a population density of 260 000/km2, far beyond Macau, Monaco and the planet’s other mega-crammed boroughs. Ostensibly The Line is touted as a great green initiative. Those intentions are, at best, questionable. Experts [can only estimate]( the ruinous environmental consequences of its construction. The true motivations are not difficult to surmise. Saudi Arabia, like other oligarchies, is desperate to consolidate its oil wealth into other avenues lest it runs out or the world moves on from fossil fuels. (The country is also having its Lady Macbeth moment as it hopelessly attempts to wash the blood of Jamal Khashoggi, a US-based journalist and critic of Saudi Arabia's government, off its hands.) This diversification is not a new phenomenon. One need only look at Dubai, which, as [this video eloquently puts it]( is full of “dumb shit”. The Burj Khalifa, sold as an architectural marvel, is not built on a sewerage line; meaning a line of trucks must cart out its waste every day. The famous (and fake) Palm Islands were inexplicably laid over demolished coral reefs and face the imminent risk of rising sea levels. These are just two examples of the bizarre, inefficient nature of a city built for ostentation over purpose. Not for livability but to attract the tourist’s wandering eye. Qatar is another easy example. A few decades ago the World Cup host was little more than a detour in the desert. Now, thanks to natural gas, it is able to wield soft power initiatives that most Western leaders could only dream of. Speaking of dreams. President Cyril Ramaphosa once told us about his fantasy of building South Africa’s first new city in the democratic era. During his [2019 State of the Nation address]( he said: “I dream of a South Africa where the first entirely new city built in the democratic era rises, with skyscrapers, schools, universities, hospitals and factories. “This dream that I have has been fuelled by my conversations with four wonderful people: Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Dr Naledi Pandor, Ms Jessie Duarte and President Xi Jinping of China, whose account of how China is building a new city 100 kilometres from Beijing has helped to consolidate my dream. “This is a dream we can all share and participate in building.” That dream has yet to come to fruition. We’ve had some mild developments in planning for a “smart city” – notably in Lanseria, Mooikloof and the Wild Coast. But it’s fair to say the vision outlined in early 2019 is no closer to being materialised in late 2022. Just as it is fair to speculate that Ramaphosa faces a huge battle this weekend to remain as the leader behind any such project. Of course, we should be grateful we don’t have a despot desperate to push through a useless city no matter the cost. But, on the occasional moment, it is nice to dream about getting things done. Yours in solidarity, Luke Feltham Enjoy The Ampersand? Share it with your friends [Share]( [Share]( [Tweet]( [Tweet]( [Forward]( [Forward]( [Share]( [Share]( Copyright © 2022 Mail & Guardian Media LTD, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in to receive communications from the Mail & Guardian either at our website or by taking out a print subscription. Our mailing address is: Mail & Guardian Media LTD 25 Owl St BraamfonteinJohannesburg, Gauteng 2001 South Africa [Add us to your address book]( Want to change which mails you receive from Mail & Guardian? [Update your preferences]( to tell us what you do and don't want to receive, or [unsubscribe](. *If you are a paying subscriber, we recommend updating your preferences rather than unsubscribing, as you may miss important information relating to your subscription.