Abstract
Because of the expanding population in our cities with its demands for more diversified services, we cannot afford a piecemeal type of urban underground growth. Utilization of the urban street system for buried utilities has a serious adverse effect on other street functions because of the continuing necessity to perform excavations for the repair of existing lines and the installation of new ones. The excavations not only are a serious cause of traffic delay and congestion but also create noise and aesthetic disturbances, and result in excessive street maintenance requirements and in shortened overall street life. Consider the enhancing effects in quietness on abutting properties and users of the street, and the benefits become very great. Unfortunately, the lack of data and the difficulty in quantifying the intangibles have made it impossible to arrive at a reasonably accurate figure of overall negative impact on the urban environment of street cuts. However, if drivers are sufficiently strong to merit the use of utility tunnels, then sustainable municipal policies improving living quality will be implemented. © 2012 Taylor & Francis.
