Alice City

Alice City is an underground city that the Taisei Corporation has proposed to build in Tokyo, Japan.

Concept

The Alice City concept was proposed as early as 1989.[1] One of what would ideally be several linked Alice Cities, it would be split into three primary sectors- Town Space, Office Space, and Infrastructure Space, accessed by underground railway from a hub, called the Alice Terminal.[2]

Town Space

The Town Space would consist of "verdant underground boulevards", free of traffic and containing shopping plazas, fitness centers, and theaters in addition to residences.[2][3]

Office Space

The Office Space would house office buildings, hotels, parking lots, and expanded shops. "Solar domes" above office complexes would be in an effort to combat claustrophobia. Hotels and offices would be connected to the surface through the use of express elevators, allowing people to commute from outside the Alice City.[2]

Infrastructure Space

The Infrastructure Space would handle utilities, such as power generation, heating, and sewage treatment.[3]

Alice Terminal

Considered the hub of the city, Alice Terminal would be a 120-meter wide clear dome, 180 meters below the ground. Several railway links would lead out from the terminal to other complexes, and the terminal itself would be landscaped with parks and green space, as well as containing medical facilities, shopping centers, and other amenities for convenience.[4][2]

Advantages

Many advantages were cited for the plan, primarily the fact that moving infrastructure, primarily industry, offices, and shops underground would free up large amounts of space above ground for redevelopment into parks and green space.[2] The effects of earthquakes also be greatly reduced underground, diminishing to 1/3 to 1/7 their original levels at only 30 meters below ground. The need for heating would also be diminished, due to temperatures underground holding at a stable 13-15 C.[1]

Disadvantages

A primary issue in development of underground cities is that in the event of a fire or similar disaster, it would be difficult if not impossible to evacuate everyone inside, requiring the construction of separate areas with independent supplies of power and air. Issues of land ownership also trouble the development of projects such as Alice City, due to Japanese law at the time of proposal considering land underground owned by the same body that owns the property above ground.[1]

References
  1. Cross, Michael (April 29, 1989). "Technology: Japan invests millions in life underground". New Scientist. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  2. "Japan looks `down'town". PostBulletin. October 20, 1990. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  3. Goel, R K; Singh, Bhawani; Zhao, Jian (2012). Underground Infrastructures: Planning, Design, and Construction. Butterworth-Heinemann. pp. 61, 62. ISBN 0123971683.
  4. Ser, Toh Thian (1998). Megacities, Labour, & Communications. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. pp. xviii. ISBN 9813055979.
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