Episode Details

Can you imagine living in a city without roads on the surface? We've already put trains underground successfully, but the idea of building roads underground is now inspiring urban planners and engineers. Bradley Garrett, author of 'Subterranean London', says that there's something magical about things happening out of sight, that it "gives the illusion of seamlessness". So, how might underground roads reshape our cities and redefine the daily commute?

你能想象生活在一个没有路面的城市里吗？ 我们已经成功地将火车埋入地下，但在地下修建道路的想法现在正在激发城市规划者和工程师的灵感。 《伦敦地下》一书的作者布拉德利·加勒特 (Bradley Garrett) 表示，在视线之外发生的事情有一些神奇之处，它“给人一种无缝的错觉”。 那么，地下道路将如何重塑我们的城市并重新定义日常通勤？

"If you want to revitalise the city centre, you pedestrianise the roads," says Tom Ireland, the director of tunnelling at engineering company Aurecon. Moving roads below the surface can free up space for parks, pavement cafes, and other public amenities, improving the urban environment and mental health of the population. Not only that, it could reduce traffic congestion above ground, and who doesn't want to be freed from noise pollution and the sight of gridlocked traffic? 

“如果你想振兴市中心，你就需要在道路上修建步行街，”工程公司 Aurecon 的隧道工程总监汤姆·爱尔兰 (Tom Ireland) 说道。 将道路移至地下可以为公园、路边咖啡馆和其他公共设施腾出空间，从而改善城市环境和人们的心理健康。 不仅如此，它还可以减少地面交通拥堵，谁不想摆脱噪音污染和交通拥堵的困扰呢？

Underground roads could also make self-driving cars more popular, which are often more energy-efficient, and less prone to collisions. This, in a world trying to reduce its fuel consumptio