The Construction Site Called Saudi Arabia

Once I started looking for stories on megaprojects I saw nothing but stories on megaprojects. Here's one from the NYT which mentions one of the most ambitious —  King Abdullah Economic City — and reflects the broadly-held perception that urban livability as we strive for it here in the USA may not yet be high on the priority list:

One of the most noticeable illustrations of the industrialization push is a plan championed by King Abdullah, the 83-year-old Saudi monarch, to build six new cities throughout the country — including the King Abdullah Economic City on the western coast....The intent is to create industrial centers that double as housing and commercial hubs for the country’s young and growing population...Drawings of these new towns depict a cross of the futuristic “Blade Runner” and traditional Arabic design.

I see the Blade Runner element but not the traditional Arabic design. Also note that the PR about megaprojects usually show a bird's eye view and rarely a view from the street, which may reflect the amount of attention paid to the street-level experience: