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A NEW FRONTIER
Experimental Cities
As they sought to bring their visions to life, the experiences of Athelstan Spilhaus (geophysicist and oceanographer) and Guy Rottier (architect) during the 1960s and 70s have much to inform successful future blank-slate planning and the transformation of bold ideas into reality.
Montreal: The Ville Intérieure As Prototype for the Continuous Interior
This 1960s prototype has, at its core, the aim of urban expansion, enabled by a continuous underground interior for transportation, and the circulation of people and goods.
Helsinki: City of Deep Collaborations
While Helsinki’s vision is enabled by the city’s natural resources and unique local characteristics, it is enacted through its ethos of cooperation.
No longer just a place to hide infrastructure, the underground is increasingly being explored as a means of supporting sustainable urban development — a reservoir of much-needed land and of resources such as geothermal energy. Earlier visions and experiments in underground urbanism can provide valuable lessons to facilitate successful livability strategies for the future.
AECOM Further Insights:
