InglêsSinônimos | synonyms

In 1863, in an effort to reduce street traffic, London opened the world’s first underground line, the Metropolitan Railway. Its birth can be traced back two decades before to the building of the world’s first under-river tunnel below the Thames, which swiftly became both popular with pedestrians and a huge tourist attraction.

Initially, what would become the London Underground consisted of tracks dug slightly below the surface and then covered over, but as the technology improved, and trains switched from steam-powered to electric, the lines went deeper. Now the ground beneath Londoners’ feet hums with an extensive network of Tube lines ferrying people about the city speedily, efficiently — and out of sight.

Along with trains, powerlines, pipes, and cables, there’s another piece of infrastructure some have long wished to bury — roads. To some, these thick asphalt ribbons crisscrossing countries and cleaving apart communities and ecosystems no longer seem fit for purpose. As they sprawl longer and wider in the hopes of speeding up traffic, congestion ticks upwards and cars continue to pollute the air and spew greenhouse gases.

No one has suggested burying every single one of the world’s roads. But what would happen if we did relocate them all below the surface? In a time of increasing urbanization, soaring inequality and climate crisis, imagining the impact this could have raises important questions about how our global transport system is developing — and prompts us to consider where we really want it to go.

What if all roads went underground? Internet: <www.bbc.com> (adapted)