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I was similarly impressed by the gigantic underground systems in Montreal. Many people go for months during the winter time never going above ground, working,

I was similarly impressed by the gigantic underground systems in Montreal. Many people go for months during the winter time never going above ground, working, shopping and living all inside the interconnected underground shopping malls businesses etc.

mirimir 9y ago
Helsinki too. Because winter and Russians. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876610216307834 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876610216...
dmschulman 9y ago
Would love to understand some of the underlying design and social factors that go into making these types of concourses a success. We have a similar abet much smaller underground mall in Philadelphia running through3 major transit stops in the downtown area, connecting multiple buildings and plazas, yet the area remains disheveled and relatively unused and even sometimes dangerous.
- magic_beans 9y ago
  The social factor might just be the extreme cold. Chicago, much colder than Philadelphia, also has some actively used winter tunnels.
hellofunk 9y ago
I was thinking of my time in Montreal when I read this article. They call Montreal the "underground city" and its design is pretty interesting.
shalmanese 9y ago
Calgary too. There was an entire movie made that centers around a group of workers who make a bet for who can go the longest without ever going outdoors: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waydowntown https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waydowntown
tpurves 9y ago
Toronto's underground system is the largest one in the world. 1200 retail locations, 30km long, 4M sq feet of retail space. It's very nice, all marble or polished stone everywhere, brightly lit, good food courts. Many many food courts. Almost all of it privately maintained and owned by each of the 50+ connected downtown towers and buildings. In the summer, no one goes above ground it's too hot and humid. In the Winter it's too cold. For a few glorious weeks in Spring and Fall however, all the downtown residents and office workers find it hospitable to occasionally pop outside of their towers to enjoy the outdoors. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PATH_(Toronto) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PATH_(Toronto)
- SubiculumCode 9y ago
  Sounds like the kind of people that could stand living underground on Mars.
hacking_again 9y ago
It sounds nice and cool but the truth is it's just basically a mess of interconnected buildings and crappy malls that sometimes you can use to make a portion of your trip warmer. I mean, it's still good to have and everything, but it's not at all a city and people that live in that area go above ground routinely all through the winter.

mirimir 9y ago

Helsinki too. Because winter and Russians. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876610216307834 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876610216...

dmschulman 9y ago

Would love to understand some of the underlying design and social factors that go into making these types of concourses a success. We have a similar abet much smaller underground mall in Philadelphia running through3 major transit stops in the downtown area, connecting multiple buildings and plazas, yet the area remains disheveled and relatively unused and even sometimes dangerous.

magic_beans 9y ago
The social factor might just be the extreme cold. Chicago, much colder than Philadelphia, also has some actively used winter tunnels.

hellofunk 9y ago

I was thinking of my time in Montreal when I read this article. They call Montreal the "underground city" and its design is pretty interesting.

shalmanese 9y ago

Calgary too. There was an entire movie made that centers around a group of workers who make a bet for who can go the longest without ever going outdoors: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waydowntown https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waydowntown

tpurves 9y ago

Toronto's underground system is the largest one in the world. 1200 retail locations, 30km long, 4M sq feet of retail space. It's very nice, all marble or polished stone everywhere, brightly lit, good food courts. Many many food courts. Almost all of it privately maintained and owned by each of the 50+ connected downtown towers and buildings. In the summer, no one goes above ground it's too hot and humid. In the Winter it's too cold. For a few glorious weeks in Spring and Fall however, all the downtown residents and office workers find it hospitable to occasionally pop outside of their towers to enjoy the outdoors. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PATH_(Toronto) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PATH_(Toronto)

SubiculumCode 9y ago
Sounds like the kind of people that could stand living underground on Mars.

hacking_again 9y ago

It sounds nice and cool but the truth is it's just basically a mess of interconnected buildings and crappy malls that sometimes you can use to make a portion of your trip warmer. I mean, it's still good to have and everything, but it's not at all a city and people that live in that area go above ground routinely all through the winter.