Underground Space: Alternative Homes
The Geospatial Urban Redevelopment Planning Option For Sydney 2000

S.A. Baggs Director P.E.O.p.l.
Joint Managing Director, ECA SPACE DESIGN (Australia)

Geotecture town planning techniques have been used for urban redevelopment plans of Sydney. The state of the art urban redevelopment plans utilise tunneling to create alternative homes & underground accomodation for all sectors of the economy.


TOWN PLANNING & URBAN REDEVELOPMENT SUMMARY

The first 150m or so of subterranean space offers town planning and urban redevelopment an excellent opportunity to utilise a relatively untapped resource for residential (alternative homes), industrial and commercial accommodation.
In this zone, it is possible to manipulate the combined thermal characteristics of the strata beneath and the atmosphere above with comparatively low energy inputs for climate control compared with above-ground buildings. The concept for the urban redevelopment of the city of Sydney into a low-rise garden-city (while retaining present floor space ratios) and for the relocation of its industrial zones into subsurface space along corridors that 'recycle' surface for residential and recreational purposes was presented to the Institution of Engineers Tunneling Conference in Sydney, 1990.


Aerial view of south-east urban redevelpoment.

Generically referred to as geotecture, both terratecture (cut-construct-cover) and lithotecture (tunneling) urban redevelopment technologies are utilised, and include the relocation of utilities, transit systems and waste treatment plants into conduits within these corridors.
(The
Warren Centre at University of Sydney has already begun the process of implementation of an integrated geospatial development of the city of Sydney, of which this was a forerunner.)


Urban Redevelopment Section (east-west) through City of Sydney
(From Darling Harbour on left to Hyde Park)
with Queen Victoria Building near centre.

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Healthy House Building Design - Environmental Impact Assessment - Urban Redevelopment