Invisible Places: Subtropolis

Beneath the surface of many modern cities lies an invisible world. Few people ever see this strange universe, but this "underground" video takes the viewer on a fascinating tour of these obscure places. First stop is the sewer system of Paris, a legacy of the Napoleonic era made famous by the novels of Victor Hugo. Each day intrepid workers descend to check out the grimy arteries which cleanse the city of light, using quaint tools such as a large wooden ball to flush out the tunnels. Viewers will also see how Rome's prosperity was built on an intricate underground water delivery system, and how engineering made Chicago a world class city despite its marshy location. Other topics include Boston's recent "big dig" which relieved much of the city's traffic congestion by taking it underground; the story of the Eurotunnel, which realized an old dream by connecting England to the European continent; and a look at a vast "subtropolis," an underground city of storage and services being built near Kansas City. The video notes that for humans to commute and work underground we must be conditioned to overcome our natural fear of confined spaces and a world without daylight. Chockfull of fascinating factoids and attractive graphics, this video is recommended for school and public libraries. Other titles in the Invisible Places series include: Underworld and World of War. (S. Rees)