-2
$\begingroup$

Some time ago, there was a program on the Science Channel regarding the proposal of future cities being built below ground. Apparently, this is one of those progressive answers to our problems regarding overpopulation.

But in this alternate scenario, after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, could human history be different if Chicago and other subsequent cities were built below ground rather than towering above it?

Improve this question
$\endgroup$
16
  • 5
    $\begingroup$ You've been told before about meaningless question titles plenty of times. The title should be enough to let people see if they are interested in the question before they click on it. Please stop wasting people's time like that, you think you are being clever but everyone else disagrees. $\endgroup$
    – Tim B
    Commented Sep 24, 2015 at 14:16
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ @DJMethaneMan People who ask questions are welcome, whether they also answer them or not. The problem is people who ask bad or unclear questions. This one for example had the bad title and then is also borderline too broad. $\endgroup$
    – Tim B
    Commented Sep 24, 2015 at 16:59
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ Because it means absolutely nothing. What does it actually tell you about the question? Very little. Your questions are getting downvoted to a large part because of your titles, does that tell you nothing? $\endgroup$
    – Tim B
    Commented Sep 24, 2015 at 22:24
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ Notice that most of those titles despite being "funny" also still described the question. Yours fail to do either. $\endgroup$
    – Tim B
    Commented Sep 24, 2015 at 22:28
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ Chicago is built on a swamp. $\endgroup$
    – Oldcat
    Commented Sep 24, 2015 at 22:42

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
2
$\begingroup$

First off, I do not think that technology was advanced enough to build and sustain an underground city back in 1871.

As for a change in history, this depends on a lot of factors. The first variable is if this experiment proved to be a success or not. And if it did, were the next cities (at least in USA) built underground or overground. How about other nations? Then the biggest change in history would come if underground cities had any major role in wars. Unfortunately, even after some 200,000 years of evolution, wars remain as the most prominent events in our history.

Another history-changing event could happen if life underground proved to be very beneficial for human race in terms of health (which it is not). Yet another possibility is if somehow underground cities managed natural resources in a better way than cities overground. This is also false. Furthermore it would be nearly impossible to manage all the traffic and factories' smoke and waste in an underground city.

So all in all, I think no. It would have been remembered in history as one of the worst experiments by humans in city planning.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
4
  • $\begingroup$ Why do you think technology wasn't advanced enough? What kind of technologie would be requiered which they did not had? pumps, fans, steel beam, cement, current, electical light, ... The london tube has been finished almost an decade before the given date. $\endgroup$
    – jawo
    Commented Sep 24, 2015 at 10:40
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ There's a difference between travelling underground and living underground. You need sunlight, fresh water, roads, airports and whatnot. And it's not easy even building them all underground, let along living long term. Then we have water sewerage, rainwater drainage and a zillion other issues. $\endgroup$
    – Youstay Igo
    Commented Sep 24, 2015 at 13:50
  • $\begingroup$ There was no airport in 1871. $\endgroup$
    – jawo
    Commented Sep 24, 2015 at 14:07
  • $\begingroup$ There are, now. The question emphasises on how history would have been different. Plus, I mentioned loads more issues than mere airports. You can't live underground for long. People get emaciated if they have to. $\endgroup$
    – Youstay Igo
    Commented Sep 24, 2015 at 14:15
2
$\begingroup$

I don't think that back in 1871 there was sufficient technology to build underground cities. So I would expect:

  • Bad ventilation.
  • Humidity.
  • Insufficient light.

Even today our "problems regarding overpopulation" have nothing to do with finding enough square miles to build houses. They are:

  • Inefficient distribution of food. The world produces enough food for all, but those who go hungry can't afford to buy it at market prices and/or can't reach the markets.
  • Widespread environmental degradation. We're ruining our environment and turning much of it into wasteland.
  • Lack of opportunity in rural areas. People go into slums in the cities because their farms are even worse.

Summarized, the solution proposed in the question doesn't solve the problem and the problem doesn't exist in the way you put it.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
2
  • $\begingroup$ The London Tube was finished in 1863, so yeah, they actually had the technology to "build" large underground structure. Even in ancient Mesopotamia they had well knowledge of ventilation. 1871, enlightenment era wasn't a premature concept but science had taken a large role in engineering and constructing. There already where pumps, fans, oil and current and basicly anything you need for such an project. $\endgroup$
    – jawo
    Commented Sep 24, 2015 at 10:39
  • $\begingroup$ @o.m. youtube.com/watch?v=yVkyfC_AOLI $\endgroup$
    – JohnWDailey
    Commented Sep 24, 2015 at 12:45
1
$\begingroup$

First of all, the fire in Chicago was historically a small fire, compared with comparable disasters.

1776 fire in New York(usa) 500 death
1871 fire in Chicago(usa) 200-300 death
1881 fire after explosion Wien(austria) 500-700 death
1906 fire in San Francisco 700 death
1943 bombardment on Hamburg(germany) 45 000 death
1945 bombardment on Tokio(japan) 80-100 000 death

I think bombardment is comparable to fire in this context, due an underground city isn't bombardable in that manner.

However, back to topic Building an underground city in 1871

Is this even plausible?
Why not,...
The London tube was finished in 1863, so the ability to build megastructures in the ground was given.
Current has been discovered long time ago and electrical light has been in use since 1840(at least).
Even in ancient Rome they had pumps(powered by people, animals or rivers) to build drydocks, so water in the city would be an solvable Problem.

What impact on history would that have?

Sure,... Question like these are highly speculating but I want to portray my idea:

In the late 19th centurie, industrialization has reached a peak.
Productivity was the highest value in the part of the world we call the "West" today. Working class riots begun some decades before and there had been a giant change in society.

At this time, there where several concepts (Capitalism, Communism, Socialism) which competed for implementation.

Capitalism requires the ability for rapid economic growth. This means, the relatively very costly process of building underground would be an problem, it decelerate rapit scaling.

In that manner, capitalism either couldn't stand a chance against the other concepts, or capitalism had prevent underground cities.

What kind of society would we have, if capitalism had not been implemented?
This cannot be answered reasonable.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
2
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ The bulk of the London Underground ("tube") network, including all of the deep tunnels, was constructed in the 20th century. The earliest parts were essentially shallow tunnels (with large parts running in open culverts) so it probably isn't a good example of being able to live underground. $\endgroup$
    – Steve Bird
    Commented Sep 24, 2015 at 12:50
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Yeah, they used "cut and cover" for a lot of the early tubes. Basically they dug a long trench, ran the rail lines along the trench and then covered over the top of the trench with a bridge-like structure. $\endgroup$
    – Tim B
    Commented Sep 24, 2015 at 14:21

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .