Underground cities exist for multiple reasons: defence, habitation, water storage, etc. These are primarily a series of linked subterranean spaces. These might be naturally formed, the reason being an act of god, a result of war or other human activities, or might have been planned for human use, such as cisterns, drainage flow, defence, etc. these cities have existed for eras. They can primarily be found in locations with extreme climates since these underground cities tend to provide constant climatic conditions throughout the year. Indeed, what we have is all from nature. Nature is what taught us to live, adapt and thrive. The underground settlement, is in fact, one of the best examples of biomimicry. Kingfishers, moles, ants, rabbits, and numerous such species liver below the earth.
With almost all the present settlements above the surface, we still have traces of major underground cities across the world. Turkey is well known for its underground cities, having more than 40 of them. Derinkuyu is one of them and the most popular one as well. Located in Cappadocia, Turkey, it goes down to a depth of 60 meters. It was so huge that it has been postulated that at least 20,000 people could fit in it. It contains plenty of chambers that served as oil presses, store rooms, stables, chapels, and cellars. Carved into soft rock, this underground city was abandoned in 1923, right after the population exchange happened between Turkey and Greece.
Plzen Historical Underground is another well-known underground city in the Czech Republic. This city constitutes two or three levelled cellars. These cellars were used to manufacture and preserve food as well as for malt houses and wine vaults. The front part of this underground city was habitable while the back section of it was used for storage, stables, cellars, yards, and sheds. The cellars were also used as water galleries and dumping grounds.
Situated in northern France, Naours is an underground city that stretches for more than 3 km. Found 30 meters below the forested plateau of France, this underground city consists of 300 rooms. Initially, during the 3rd century, a roman quarry for limestone, it was later used as a village during the medieval era. The villagers started using this subterranean space for hiding and later decided to settle down there as it proved a safe space for them. This city had a population capacity of 3000 as well as spaces to store food and water, and spaces to breed their animals.
With these three examples, it is easy to conclude the purpose of these underground cities. In the Urban context, underground cities are being considered concerning the population explosion. Many futuristic subterranean spaces are being planned by the wealthier cities to meet the ever-rising demand for land. While some of them have already been executed, some have been only approved yet, and some are still being planned.
Finland’s approved subterranean space under its capital Helsinki, the Helsinki underground city is a strong example of an urban underground city. It can house around 9,00,000 people at once. Finland’s intention behind this city was to fend off the nuclear threats and potential attacks from its neighbour Russia. About 30 meters deep, this city contains gyms, playgrounds, swimming pools, and numerous tunnels. it is also advantageous in terms of energy management as the bedrock insulates the space during colder months lowering the need for electrical heating systems.
Another example of an urban underground city is the Singapore Underground city. Singapore, being an island nation is already facing a shortage of land, the population is expected to increase to 7 million by 2030. This plausible situation has forced the country to explore subterranean living options. The underground city has the world’s greatest district cooling system as well as a water reclaiming system and weapon storage. Singapore had its existing subterranean spaces from decades ago, it is now utilizing them to meet its land demand. Tunnels built by the British during the war years, it’s fully equipped with electricity generators and 20 purpose-built rooms making it a “self-containing structure”.
With these examples of urban underground cities, we can see the significant evolution in the design, use, and efficiency of subterranean spaces. We, human beings, ironically, while exploiting nature, have adapted such habitats from the same. Modern underground cities are byproducts of the scarcity of surface land, resulting from the uncontrolled population. This uncurbed population is eating away the earth’s resources at a lightning pace. While we consume natural products and land open to the sun, we leave behind artificially ventilated subterranean spaces and synthetic resources with a harsher environment for our subsequent generations. Exploiting the land, animals, and Greenland will one day force us to witness lab-produced apples and avocados. Population controlling measures are more environment-friendly and cost-effective than digging out the remaining earth and encroaching forests and oceans. Are we maintaining a balance in nature? Are we being fair? Question yourself. Question your conscience.
Citation:
- (2022) International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE). Available at: https://www.ijrte.org/ (Accessed: November 28, 2022).
- Subterranean Singapore: A deep dive into manmade tunnels and caverns underground in the City State (no date) BiblioAsia. Available at: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/vol-18/issue-2/jul-sep-2022/underground-space-singapore/ (Accessed: November 28, 2022).
- (no date) Rudaw.net. Available at: https://www.rudaw.net/english/world/10062022 (Accessed: November 28, 2022).
- IAEME publication, IJMET, IJCIET, IJCET, IJECET, IJARET, IJEET, IJM, International Journal Publisher & Journal Impact Factor, Journal publication in Chennai, Journal Publication in India, Journal Subscription in India, Engineering Journals Subscription, Technology Journals Subscription, Management Journals Subscription, Journal publication in Chennai, Thomson Reuters’ research Id : H-3771-2015 indexed journals, Journal Publisher in India, high impact factor journals, UGC approved journals, AICTE Approved Journals, University Approved Journal (no date) IAEME Publication, IJMET, IJCIET, IJCET, IJECET, IJARET, IJEET, IJM, International Journal Publisher & Journal Impact Factor, Journal Publication in Chennai, Journal Publication in India, Journal Subscription in India, Engineering Journals Subscription, Technology Journals Subscription, Management Journals Subscription, Journal Publication in Chennai, Thomson Reuters’ Research ID : H-3771-2015 Indexed Journals, Journal publisher in india, High Impact factor journals, UGC Approved Journals, AICTE Approved Journals, University Approved Journal. Available at: https://iaeme.com/ (Accessed: November 28, 2022).
