Going underground 
Subterranean activity is part of modern life, but usually focuses on mining, transport or utilities. Several recently announced projects indicate interest in building subterranean living, leisure and working. Such developments will require radically new technologies and provide significant opportunities.
What's changingLiving underground is not new; ancient civilisations did it centuries ago. Modern technologies are enabling us to create new underground cities. Plans are afoot to develop a subterranean Eco City 2020 in the remains of one of the world’s largest ever mines in Siberia. The city would potentially house 100,000 people; include farms, recreation and transport. It would be covered in a glass dome including photovoltaic cells for energy efficiency and so that natural light can be ‘piped’ inside.
In the Chinese city of Dongcheng, space is limited and building regulations control building height in certain areas. After considerable research, the local government has approved plans for a major underground development over three levels, with homes, shops, offices and transport. Similarly in Amsterdam, space limitations are encouraging the idea of building underground.
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Contributed by
Sheila Moorcroft, Research Director, Shaping Tomorrow
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Events and open positions
Research Project - The Role of Information Technology in Business Sustainability Leadership
The Leading Edge Forum, the research and thought leadership arm of Computer Sciences Corporation (www.lef.csc.com) is looking for a senior researcher to assess the role of information technology and the central IT organization at those firms recognized as global Fortune 1000 class business sustainability leaders. More detail
Yeditepe International Research Conference on Foresight and Futures
August 24 - 26, 2011, Istanbul
"Theory Building in Foresight and Futures Studies"
Interested individuals from academic (economics, management, political science, engineering) and business worlds are invited to come together to discuss and communicate on challenging problems related to THEORY BUILDING in FORESIGHT and FUTURES STUDIES within the historic and mystic environment of Istanbul. More detail
The Lessons from Futures Work
April 4, 2011 from 12pm to 2:30pm – London South Bank University
Strategic futures thinking offers a good way to develop more resilient and innovative strategies and can help to “futureproof” your policies. But does it always have the impact it should? Is it telling policy-makers what they want to know at the time they need to know it? What blockages are preventing the effective take-up of futures work into policy-making? What changes in approach could futurists make to increase their effectiveness? These are some of the issues to be explored at the next Fan Club 2.0 workshop, drawing on the wide experience of our members and facilitated by Dr Jane Galsworthy from Oxford Innovation. More detail
StrategyNZ: Mapping our Future
March 28–31, Wellington, New Zealand
The Institute is an independently funded think tank based in Wellington, specialising in research relating to New Zealand’s long- term future. It will be bring together a representative group of New Zealanders with a number of international and national leaders in future thinking and strategic foresight. The result will be the creation of a strategy map for New Zealand that describes how the country intends to create value for its stakeholders.
Exceptional speakers, include 2011 New Zealander of the Year Sir Paul Callaghan; NASA Chief Scientist Dr Dennis Bushnell; and international strategic foresight expert Dr Peter Bishop. Participants will be grouped into ‘think tanks’, each of which will produce a strategy map. More detail
LATIN AMERICA 2030: Delphi and Scenarios
You are kindly invited to take part in an International Delphi Survey designed to create scenarios for Latin America and the Caribbean in 2030. More detail
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Subterranean activity is part of modern life, but usually focuses on mining, transport or utilities. Several recently announced projects indicate interest in building subterranean living, leisure and working. Such developments will require radically new technologies and provide significant opportunities. 
