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The line, built within Neom, is a major developmental project proposed in 2017 in Saudi Arabia that will house 300,000 people. The purpose of this project is part of a larger goal to shift the reliance of the country’s oil-based economy to a tourist-focused one as the availability of fossil fuels reduces. The line will have a length of 170km, a height of 500m, and a width of 200m, and will become an “air-conditioned city of around 300,000 people”[Williams, 2024] and include a mirrored exterior. Additionally, The Line aims to involve smart technology where AI will be used and surveillance to ensure that everything is running smoothly by its 2030 date. Many are hopeful that The Line will promote a new perspective on cities and revolutionise how cities are built.  Image courtesy of NEOM, published by Archinect.com   The Line will effectively tackle Saudi Arabia’s ever-present environmental issues, as they aim to use 100% clean energy, reduce the use of fossil fuels as explained, and improve air quality. Furthermore, there will be no roads or cars because the public transportation system will be reliable, clean, and efficient, with “no pollution and no wait times” [Williams, 2024]. The economic impacts are considerable because the project will positively affect Saudi Arabia’s GDP, as “The economic activity within the project could contribute up to $48 billion by 2030”[Case Study: Neom, n.d]. Furthermore, the generation of this money can be used to promote tourism, as well as pay the 100,000 workers who are digging the foundations of the project. However, this project has more criticism than approval due to the innumerable negative ways that people within Saudi Arabia are affected. In terms of social well-being, the space used to create the city has displaced as many as three villages where schools and hospitals were built, as well as harmed indigenous tribes such as the Howeitat people. Many of these people are already living in hard conditions, and the construction of The Line has worsened their circumstances. Critics also argue that The Line will only serve the rich within the country because of the cost of living and other expenses, which are largely unfordable. Other economic impacts can be seen in the construction costs, which can cost up to $1.5 trillion, instead, these funds could be used to promote a greener future within Saudi Arabia’s current cities rather than creating a new one, or increase the supply of houses to keep up with demand. Many also have criticised the infrastructure around the line because a line is the least efficient shape for a city. After all, there is a reason why most cities have a round-like look.  Many of these criticisms have been heard, and as of 2024, the scale of the project has been reduced. According to The Guardian, the size of the project has been used to 98.6% of its original size, being one mile. This is a result of outside criticism of the project, the human rights issues that the UN said potentially violate international rights, and the funding problems from investors, for instance. The project was highly ambitious and unfeasible in the first place. However, it was a good attempt to change the look of cities and can serve as a lesson of what not to do for mega projects.  Bibliography   https://newatlas.com/author/adam-williams (2024). Saudi Arabia’s Line megacity is using 20% of the world’s available steel . [online] New Atlas. Available at:  https://newatlas.com/architecture/line-saudi-arabia-neom-construction-update/   [Accessed 30 Dec. 2024].  Misk Foundation. (2017). Case Study: NEOM - Catalyst for Progress and Its Economic Impact on the Kingdom . [online] Available at:  https://hub.misk.org.sa/insights/saudistories/2023/case-study-neom-catalyst-for-progress-and-its economic-impact-on-the-kingdom/?allowview=true   [Accessed 30 Dec. 2024].  Moore, R. (2024). Saudi Arabia’s 105-mile long Line city has been cut a little short – by 103.5 miles. The Observer . [online] 20 Apr. Available at:  https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/apr/20/saudi-crowm-prince-vanity-project-lin   e-cut-short-rowan-moore   [Accessed 3 Jan. 2025]. Prieto-Curiel , R. and Kondor , D.K. (2023). Complexity Science Hub News Why Saudi Arabia’s ‘The Line’ Is Not A Revolution In Urban Living . [online] Complexity Science Hub. Available at:  https://csh.ac.at/news/why-saudi-arabias-the-line-is-not-a-revolution-in-urban-living/ [Accessed 30 Dec. 2024].  Schulman, P. (n.d.). Saudi Arabia’s The Line Drastically Scales Back Its Ambitions | Architectural Record . [online] www.architecturalrecord.com . Available at: https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/16851-saudi-arabias-the-line-drastically-scales-bac   k-its-ambitions   [Accessed 30 Dec. 2024].  Thomas, M. and El Gibaly, L. (2024). Neom: Saudi forces ‘told to kill’ to clear land for eco-city. www.bbc.com . [online] 9 May. Available at:  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68945445   [Accessed 30 Dec. 2024].

Kenya's current BRT progress on Outer Ring Road. Photography; ntvkenya.co.ke Over the last decade, urbanization has rapidly increased in Kenya as more people migrate into cities. The effect of urbanization has been greatly experienced, with high traffic congestion rates in this region due to the use of private cars, poor infrastructure, and a lack of effective mass transportation systems in the city. Currently, one of the most popular means of transportation are Matatus, with a capacity of up to 14 people travelling around Nairobi for a fair price. Transportation in the city is quite inefficient, and will not meet the country’s 2030 plan of low-carbon transportation at this rate, so, it is for this reason that the government is implementing a BRT. The BRT system will have G0 buses overall, a capacity of 1G0 passengers per bus picking and dropping people at points linked to footbridges for easy access, with 3 transportation corridors; Athi River, Thika Town, and JKIA airport. However, since the announcements of the BRT in 2020, progress has been slow, despite plans to begin operations in mid-2022. A previous BRT was to be constructed on Thika Road but has since been abandoned due to budget cuts. This article will discuss the project's potential benefits and setbacks in Nairobi. One aspect that must be discussed is the project’s effect on the local community of Nairobi. The BRT is designed to improve the overall quality of life in the city, as it will result in faster transportation, fewer wait times, and job promotions. Currently, Nairobi has a population of 1 million people who travel within the city during the day (a daytime population of 5 Million vs a nighttime population of 4 million), and so the system will ensure faster travel times, reducing the strain on current transport systems. A report published by The Global Labour Institute highlights that job growth is likely to increase, stating that “The total number of people directly employed in the sector was estimated to be around 185,000… and a further 150,000 or more additional jobs”[Nairobi BRT, 2019]. This means greater work opportunities, due to the BRT's affordability and accessibility, further improving the productivity of Nairobi’s society. However, it’s important to look at the alternative effect of this project on current methods of transport, more specifically, Matatus. The Global Labour Institute assessed that 42.1% of Matatu workers believe that the BRT would result in a loss of jobs, and in Kenya matatu workers are heavily reliant on this industry for their livelihood. So, the BRT could potentially impact the lives of many Matatu workers who may have less business and are already disadvantaged because many of them haven’t completed school. Furthermore, in terms of the impact on the economy, the project has generated no revenue so far, but the government has decided to invest Sh9.5 billion into it. The cost per trip will be around ksh150. This underlines the positive potential that the project can have on the local economy to pay of the cost. Another aspect to be taken into account is the progress on the BRT, which has been slow and ongoing for the last few years. As a result, criticisms have arisen for this project, as the current status of the system is incomplete, and investors are still being looked for, but funding from The European Union, The European Investment Bank (EIB), and other investors has occurred so far. The overall project is very costly at around ksh100 billion ($777 million), which is billions more than what it had initially set out to be, additionally, there are worries over the commuter cost, as ksh150 is more expensive than what the average commuters pay for Matatus. The debt this project will have since the state is borrowing over 75% of the total cost from investors is also a worry. In terms of environmental impacts, this project will reduce traffic congestion and air pollution, often caused by private cars in urban neighbourhoods, but there are concerns about the removal of trees for construction along the corridor. Nevertheless, The project as a whole aims to contribute significantly to environmental sustainability. Ultimately, like many projects globally, there are certain unfavourable aspects to the construction of this BRT, such as costs, environmental impacts, and impacts on jobs, but the potential to revolutionize transportation in Nairobi outweighs the negative impacts. Granted that this long-awaited project gets completed, Nairobi can become a more sustainable and effective city, where people can move to and from at faster hours, with improvements in commuters' daily income, and a community of healthy individuals, further improving the quality of life. If this project becomes a reality, it will take Nairobi one step closer to Kenya’s 2030 Vision, and create a more sustainable future. Reference List AGEWA MAGUT (2018). BRT plan to cost Sh100 billion, experts say . [online] Business Daily. Available at: https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/bd/news/brt-plan-to-cost-sh100-billion-experts-say-222642   6#google_vignette   [Accessed 1 Nov. 2024]. CAMBODIA Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Plus System for the Nairobi Metropolitan Region A look at the numbers How much will the NAMA cost? Who is involved? (2020). [online] unfccc. Available at: https://unfccc.int/files/focus/mitigation/application/pdf/nama_proposal_poster_kenya_brt_cop2.pdf   [Accessed 1 Nov. 2024]. Kenya’s government will contribute only 19.1% of the cost of the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) lane in Nairobi. (2023). [Infrographic] Available at: https://intelpoint.co/insights/kenyas-government-will-contribute-only-19-1-of-the-cost-of-the-bu   s-rapid-transport-brt-lane-in-nairobi/   [Accessed 1 Nov. 2024]. KIMUYU, H. (2024). NTV Kenya: State invites bids to construct Sh7.6bn BRT along Outer Ring Road . [online] NTV Kenya. Available at: https://ntvkenya.co.ke/news/state-invites-bids-to-construct-sh7-6bn-brt-along-outer-ring-road/ [Accessed 1 Nov. 2024]. KINYANJUI, M. (2021). BRT stations to be connected to electricity . [online] The Star. Available at: https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2021-12-16-brt-stations-to-be-connected-to-electricity   [Accessed 1 Nov. 2024]. Mwanika , J., Kamau, A., et al. (2019). Nairobi Bus Rapid Transit Labour Impact Assessment Research Report . [online] Global Labour Institute , Manchester: Global Labour Institute, p.81. Available at: https://gli-manchester.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Nairobi-Bus-Rapid-Transit-Report.pdf [Accessed 1 Nov. 2024]. Mwanika, J.,et al. (2018). Nairobi Bus Rapid Transit Labour Impact Assessment . [online] Manchester: Global Labour Institute, p.36. Available at: https://gli-manchester.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/nairobi-brt-labour-impact-assessment-.pdf [Accessed 1 Nov. 2024]. Vision2030.go.ke . (2017). Nairobi Metropolitan Region Bus Rapid Transit System | Kenya Vision 2030 . [online] Available at: https://vision2030.go.ke/project/nairobi-metropolitan-growth-and-development-strategy / [Accessed 1 Nov. 2024].

Barcelona is a bustling city with over 1.62 million inhabitants. During the growth of this metropolitan city Barcelona has experienced a lot of problems including congestion and traffic problems, thus a need for a solution was needed. In this short article regarding the intricate designs of Barcelona, the solution to these problems will be discussed from an urban planning perspective, and the methods and solutions some of the most genius urban planners have come up with to combat these problems facing Barcelona will be explained. Glimpse of Barcelona in the modern world The Cerdá Plan was what started it all, during the 1860s planners had a plan to expand the city of Barcelona with what's known as a Hippodamus plan. Ildefons Cerdà’s idea of having a grid layout throughout the city was later approved by the Spanish government and construction began. Initially designed to combat the challenges posed by rapid urbanization, during the early 2000s Barcelona had faced growing issues with traffic congestion, severe noise pollution, and increased reliance on cars, the narrow streets and dense layout of the city were not making it any better. Keep in mind the plan was originally designed for foot traffic, and struggled under the weight of the modern vehicle. In addition to this there were limited green spaces and residents were often pushed to the periphery by the dominance of cars, all these factors contributed to the decline in quality of life in Barcelona, hence pressing a need for an innovative solution. 1860s Hippodamus Plan That is where Salvador Rueda comes in, an urban planner who transformed the old congested layout into what's known today as the “superilla” model. The core idea of this layout is to group the previously built city blocks into groups of nine transforming it into a larger “superblock” and restricting car traffic to only the outer perimeter, leaving the interior free for cyclists, pedestrians, and local residents. These inner streets were also redesigned with green belts and green infrastructure to significantly reduce the urban heat island effect, redistributing space, creating vibrant public areas, filled with playgrounds, markets, community events, and spaces for relaxation. From an environmental perspective the superblock model is a clear winner. By limiting cars and expanding on green spaces, Barcelona's urban planners have created an eco-friendly design that supports sustainable city growth. Visual Representation of superblocks in Barcelona, with blue lines representing pedestrian zones and yellow lines representing car zones. The superblocks model has not only helped Barcelona environmentally, it has also given a positive social impact, as these superblocks have transformed the streets into safe and vibrant communities, hence encouraging social interaction and outdoor activities, by doing so the local residents can raise children in a safe environment. Moreover, economically, super blocks boost local businesses by increasing foot traffic and creating more attractive neighbourhoods. Even though some businesses initially feared losing car-dependent customers, the long-term benefits include higher property values, better public health, and lower infrastructure costs, proving that superblocks or “superilla’s” were the right choice. Inside the superblocks Over all, Barcelona's square neighbourhood layout is a creative solution to the challenges of urbanization, traffic and pollution, and by reducing car dependency, improving and expanding green spaces, and promoting community inclusion, Barcelona has provided the world with an idea of how sustainable urban development looks like. As cities all over the world continue to urbanize and begin to face the consequences of rapid urban growth, hopefully Barcelona's superblocks model can stand as a role model for future urban planners!