Abandon White House Tunnel Proposal

The proposal to build a tunnel under the Pennsylvania Avenue near the White House should be abandoned argues Roger K. Lewis, and presents aesthetic and practical reasons against building tunnels in the middle of cities.

1 minute read

August 11, 2001, 11:00 AM PDT

By Abhijeet Chavan @http://twitter.com/legalaidtech

"The tunnel proposal should be discarded for historic, cultural, political, technical, functional, economic and even security reasons...Tunnels in the middle of cities are complicated and expensive to build...Tunnel entrances with their gaping maws are always unsightly and disruptive of the streetscape...Tunnels can flood, are always dirty and polluted with fumes and particulate matter...a traffic headache in a tunnel can quickly become a tunnel nightmare when there are accidents or breakdowns inside."

Thanks to Abhijeet Chavan

FULL STORY: A Pennsylvania Avenue Tunnel Would Undermine the Street's Symbolic Importance

Saturday, August 11, 2001 in The Washington Post

Architecture District of Columbia

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Start Learning

Advertise with us

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.