Growing Down

The Torontoist.com column Public Works, which looks at “public space, urban design, and city-building innovations from around the world and considers what Toronto might learn from them” this week thinks we can learn by looking down.

There apparently exist Associated Research Centers for Urban Underground Space (who knew?) whose mandate is to examine the potential of moving under existing cities. It’s not hard to see the need — you can only grow so far up before we block out the sun and all need Vitamin D supplements and treatment for depression, but the space under our cities in most cases remains unexcavated.

The next of the organization’s semi-regular conferences is due this year in Seoul, when interested academics, engineers, architects, planners and assorted other experts will get together and talk about the challenges in planning and administrating underground space, including large-scale projects like athletic centres, business parks, highways, and transit systems, as well as small projects like bath paths.

Of course, to those of us in the Big Smoke, living underground isn’t new. As is our Montreal compatriots’ slightly larger RESO, our PATH system is impressive evidence that up is not the only building option. I’ve enjoyed lunch and a stroll under the Scotia Plaza or the TD tower many times, but I’m not convinced I’d want to do more than browse. I chalk that up mostly to the design, though, whose highlights are largely poorly lit, low-ceilinged corridors. But what if what we built underground were large, light-filled, mixed-use spaces that included a residential component, even underground parks? Can humans live underground without turning into Morlocks?

It certainly has its advantages in a climate like ours. It wouldn’t break my heart to go underground in November and stay there until April.

It has been tried. In the early 1970s, Mao Zedong built a 30-km-long emergency shelter under Beijing as a bolt-hole for its socialist government, complete with stores, restaurants, schools, theatres and even a roller rink, as well as more than a thousand air-raid shelters. In 2000, it was opened as a tourist attraction, with some of its shelters in use as hostels.

There’s a series of tunnels under Moose Jaw, Sask., that allowed early 20th century workers to get around without freezing their tails off. The tunnels were, of course, soon taken over by bootleggers and mobsters, among them supposedly Al Capone himself.

Researchers in the late 1970s found evidence of an extensive series of underground chambers and tunnels under the Great Pyramid of Giza. Built in the 13th century (yes, 13th!), the Wieliczka Salt Mine in Poland, which also included an enormous underground complex that even housed a cathedral, was productive until 2007. The mine itself is more than 300 km long and contains an underground lake.

The underground city of Derinkuyu in Cappadocia, Turkey, is seven levels deep and may have housed thousands, with an infrastructure that included shops and churches, vintners and schools. I’m still not sold on living below grade. There would have to be some serious strides made in artificial light technology, and since it seems inherently risky from a fire and/or flood perspective, some serious R&D dollars spent on disaster mitigation.

But the land under us is certainly loaded with potential, and I’ve no doubt it’s time will come. Some visionary builder who can’t get permission to build up will eventually find a way to build down. Think you’ll be ready to move in?

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Some good news for Etobicoke residents and the developers who are building there — Transportation Minister Glen Murray said Friday that the provincial government would spend $5 million to improve the Etobicoke North GO station, including heated shelters and improved accessibility. A platform extension will allow for 12-car trains. The line will be used for the planned high-speed Pearson Express connection to the airport.

With some great new developments going up and the convenience of being near highways 401 and 427, as well as the Gardiner, the lake, the airport, some great shopping and increasingly interesting dining and cultural venues, Etobicoke is a great value. If you haven’t considered it yet, now might be the time to think about heading west.