I was thinking about something like this a few years ago. I felt like a linear city could work if it was basically treated like a game of snake.

There would be a constantly advancing head region that pushed ever forward as new structures were needed.

It would prevent NIMBY because once constructed, changes would be minimal, yet there would always be a place where new projects were welcome.

As the snake wound its way forward, anything in it's path would be trampled or assimilated.