Meliora: a podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute
Welcome to the Meliora Podcast from the Sustainability and Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton!
This podcast explores the greatest and most wicked problem that is sustainability, whilst looking at how we are collectively addressing this critical global challenge.
Sustainability needs to be addressed by understanding how the economy, society, culture, politics and environment intersect, and this is the focus that informs each episode of the Meliora podcast.
In each episode, host Professor Simon Kemp and guest hosts are joined by a variety of guests, including academics, students, staff, researchers, alumni, community groups and business leaders.
The aim of the podcast is to shine a light on the vast range of topics surrounding sustainability and to allow listeners to learn about the critical challenges we face, as well as how they can be part of the solution. We also ensure our fantastic students have the opportunity to share their brilliant work with the world.
Podcast host: Professor Simon Kemp, Deputy Director of the Sustainability & Resilience Institute, University of Southampton
Podcast editors: Lily Killner, Sophie Green, Libby Kale, Jack Dinham, Ellie Howell, School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton
Podcast communications: Hannah Parish, Alexander Ayerst, Maya Stevens, University of Southampton
Please do get in touch to discuss this podcast and any of the issues we raise by emailing sri@soton.ac.uk
Follow us on instagram and X: @meliorapodcast
Meliora: a podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute
The Sustainability of 'The Line' in Saudi Arabia
Welcome to this episode of the Meliora podcast Student Takeover Season where we explore a groundbreaking urban development project that's sparked a global debate: The Line in Saudi Arabia. Today, we'll evaluate its sustainability impact, both in the short and long term, through the lens of sustainability.
The Line is located in the Tabuk Province of northwestern Saudi Arabia, stretching approximately 170 kilometres from the Red Sea coast towards the desert interior. It’s a key part of the $500 billion NEOM project, an ambitious venture led by the Saudi Arabians Public Investment Fund.
The structure will be an impressive 200 meters wide and 500 meters tall, housing 9 million residents in a vertical living arrangement and running on 100% renewable energy, with no cars or roads.
This futuristic city promises to revolutionise urban living with its innovative design and sustainability goals and has already ‘attracted significant partners and investors interested in testing and implementing renewable energy technologies, and it is being developed as a test case for sustainable and economically feasible planned cities’
Host: Holly
Guests: Caleb and Ben
