加拿大蒙特利尔地下城

加拿大蒙特利尔地下城--世界著名的十条奢侈品牌商业街Montreal′s underground city蒙利特利尔因为它每年4到5个月的冬季而闻名。

2月的时候，气温会下降到零下34度，一年的积雪量也能多达2.5米。

同时还会伴随有呼啸的北风和让人睁不开眼的骤雨。

另外一方面，夏季又会带来令人窒息的闷热。

7月的时候，温度会升高到32度，温度100%。

然而由于有了地下城，商业区已经扩展了一年12个月中的商业和社会文化活动。

不同于其它北美大城市的是，蒙特利尔是一个无论白天夜晚都充满人群的城市，大多数的商业街都是活跃的，热闹的，相对也是很安全的。

这个长方形的，大概是12平方千米的区域恰恰被卡在两个重要的地理景观中间。

北面是皇家山脉（MONT－ROYAL），南面是圣劳伦斯河。

因此，城市的主要干线和两条地铁线是由西向东的，这也决定了地下行人通道的方向是由北向南。

实际上，10个地铁站和这两条地铁线与30千米的地下通道，室内公共广场，大型商业中心相连接。

地下之城实际上就是另外一个蒙特利尔。

为了避免上面的恶劣天气，每天有50万人进入到相互连接的60座大厦中，也就是进入到超过360万平方米的空间中，其中包括了占全部办公区域80%和相当于城市商业区总面积35%的商业空间。

地下城的诞生在19世纪末期，古老的蒙特利尔城的拥挤和公共广场以及公共空间的建立导致了新的城市中心的出现，后来便出现了那时占北部地区主导地位的交通设施。

那时的先锋车道是加拿大国家铁路（CNR），它后来在1912至1918年间为横越大陆的火车建立了一条位于皇家山脉（MOUNTROY AL）之下的轨道，从而使这原本属于自然的地区有了飞速的变化。

这条铁路结束于那个“洞”下面的一个小车站，这个“洞”不仅是城市规划者的梦魇，到了50年代，甚至也成为了地下城的一个菌体。

清楚地意识到买到更多的土地比立即铺设轨道更为迫切这样一个现实以后，就有了跨越3个街区的9万平方米的土地。

这样CNR就能够在40年后组建了威力玛瑞地区（RLACE VILLE-MARIE）。

实际上，如果公司没有做出这些充满智慧的前瞻，地下城也许就不会有今天的存在，或者说，肯定不会像现在这样扩大规模。

这一切要感谢工业萧条时期发起的工作建立计划。

1938年，工人们开始填充那个“洞”来建造中央车站。

车站于1943年竣工投入使用。

从1944年1950年，城市试图实施另一些地铁计划，但是没有成功。

这些计划广泛地受到了国外经验和主城区两条地铁线路建造经验的影响，正好位于主干线下面，并且有从便道入口进入到车站平台的通道。

正如我们知道的那样，20世纪50年代，城市主要商业区开始形成。

CNR选择了“洞”的位置作为新的总部的地点，恰好在中央车站后面。

这里也修建了拥有1040个房间的伊丽沙白女王酒店，集会中心正对REN E－LE VESQUE BOULEVARD，以前被称为道彻斯特（DORCHESTER），近期刚刚扩大了规模。

CNR的领导对蒙特利尔极为忠诚，他们构想要建立一个真正有国际威望的计划。

1954年和中国的设计是由刘明培（LEOH MING PEI），城市规划者文森特?庞特（VINCENTPONTE）一起，他们开始为威力玛瑞地区（PLACEVILLE－MARIE）设计方案。

第一条地下人行通道威力玛瑞地区（军PLACE ULLE－MARIE）1962年对商业开放。

大型商业中心上面47层的十字塔，地下的双层停车场和中央车站入口处的火车调度场都代表着规划者们不同寻常的设计。

这个巨大的地产综合体有着28.5万平方米建坪，与地上部分相同的地下面积是世界上最大的。

由于得到了快速的成功，其他地区也很快模仿它建立了更大规模的地区。

因为车站所提供的便捷行人交通，威力玛瑞地区的大型商业中心也成为了一个长久的成功。

这个第一代的蒙特利尔地下城在1962年时连接着50万平方米的建坪，包括CNR的总公司，中央车站和伊丽莎白女王饭店；在它通过两条途经道彻斯特（DORCHESTER）的通道与威力玛瑞地区（PLACE VILLE－MARIE）相连接。

地下城已经成为了一个多功能的，即便在工作时间之外也十分活跃的地区。

在威力玛瑞地区（PLACE VILLE－MARIE）开放前几个月，市政机构关于在商业区何处设置地铁通道的问题做出了决定。

他们认为地铁应建在东西方向和未经发展的街道下面。

这不仅代表着一个比城市主干线更好的更有潜力的进一步的发展计划，选择这两条街道也同时意味着今后五年里因为城市建设而对商业区交通的扰乱将会被降低到最低限度。

利用这一计划和并不昂贵的征地费用，城市得到了比排除被忽视的小建筑群和重新计划未来的BOULEV ARD DEMAISONNEUVE的布局更多的土地资源。

这样做其实是仿照了50年前CNR的例子。

1963年，蒙特利尔为1967年世界博览会位置做出的选择导致了地产业的兴旺和地铁建筑的增加，同时也带给两个先前计划车站－维克多利亚广场和保娜万特（BONA VENTURE）更好的前景。

加入到股票交易大厦后，山普林城堡酒店（CHATEAU－CHAMPLAIN HOTEL），加拿大综合大厦（PLACE DU CANADA COMPLEX）和保那万特地区（PLACE BONA VENTURE）为地下城增加了无限的活力与生机。

蒙特利尔地铁提到地下城，就不能不提到蒙特利尔的地铁和它独一无二的特点。

首先，地下铁路系统普遍位于地下10到15英尺，周围布满岩石。

这是一个把车站连接在底层地铁月台上面广阔的中层空间中的理想位置。

那些位于周边建筑物地下一、二层的中层空间用来作为过道或者行人自由活动区域，它在地铁旋转门管理的范围之外。

穿越邻近建筑物的地下层到达大厅，然后就可以进入车站。

1964年，建造车站的计划全部完成。

作为处于提议中的地铁的管理者和由此目的所需土地的拥有者的城市开始以长期租约的形式出售多余的土地。

这些无实体权利的保障在遵循公众投标提呈的前提下，允许在地铁之上建造其他建筑。

1966年，地铁站主体迎接了第一批乘客。

67年世界博览会之前，10座建筑已和商业区车站直接相连。

20世纪70年代的扩张67年世界博览会之后的几年对商业区的商业地产来说是比较困难的几年，因此，对于地下城的扩张来说也是困难的。

蒙特利尔赢得举办闻名世界的国际盛事－1976年夏季奥运会这一事件才使投资者的信心重新恢复。

公众的介入是最重要的，特别是对于拥有德斯艺术区（PLACE DES ARTS）和阿米斯区（PLACE D’ARMES）地铁站的计划中，德斯亚丁斯综合大楼（COMPLEXE DESJARDINS）的建造取得了主要的成功，它是通过一个连续的室内行人通道来实现的。

有着宽敞的被自然光照射的门廊的德斯亚丁斯综合大楼（COMPLEXEDESJARDINS）成为了商业区一个真正的商业十字路口。

20个在此期间正在动工的新项目中间，有7个项目经过城市授权可以盖在地铁之上。

同时，由于地产发展商想要把新建筑物与已经或者即将和地铁相连的建筑物连接在一起，一个新的趋势也出现了。

20世纪80年代的巩固经历了1984年的减速发展，商业区的建造直到1992－93年的经济萧条才真正停止。

尽管如此，对于很久以来一直想要追上不断增长的原动力发展的商业区的商业地产工业而言，这段日子正好是它向郊区发展的时期，它也从这种发展中获取了利益。

三个主要的多功能的项目几乎同步地在市中心进行。

那就是COURW MONT-ROYA, PALCE MONTREAL-TRUST和PROMENADES-DE-LA-CATHEDRALE. 这些项目的实现要归功于发展商们一直以来与郊区商业中心的联系，但现在他们想要把活动变得多样化。

对于20世纪60年代的庞大的多功能综合建筑来看，它们的商业区与办公区的比率是20：80；而这些新项目的相应比率是40：60。

新项目战略上的定位是在购物中心附近，以其作为靠山，这所依照的就是郊区商业中心的结构模式。

通过各种可能的交通方式到达作为大都市最大购物中心的地下城已经成为现实。

地下城已经由1984年12千米长的室内行人通道增加到了1989年的22千米。

20世纪90年代的大型项目伴随着健康发展的城市经济，以及要构筑蒙特利尔最具声望的最高建筑物的步伐的迈进，过去十年的开始实际上和大型项目的兴建是同义的。

更进一步来说，这些10万平方米办公建坪的综合体和次要的商业成分都要与地下相连接，并将有利位置用于出租。

说在世界贸易中心，1250REN E L E VESQUE，和1000DELA GAUCHET I E RE，地下通道连接着东区中心(EA TONCENTRE)和威力玛瑞地区(PLACE VILLE-MARIE)，贸森(MOLSON)曲棍球场，以及新ICAO主区等等。

地下城如今包含着30千米的室内行人通道，它也是世界上同类通道中最长的。

由于其它很多位于国际区的地产项目将要在2002年底以前将长度延长至32千米或者更多，这次的扩张还没有结束。

谁为什么付出简而言之，除去地铁系统以外，地下城不可能在缺乏私人财政的参与的情况下得到实现。

正是那些私人发展商一直在为通道、轨道、建筑物的兴建、维护、监督和责任保险而投入资本。

城市的参与是以对发展商的特许权和非财政动机的形式得以实现的。

谁获利地下城有无数的各种各样的受益者。

首先获益的是那些在地铁开放时间里在地铁网络里随意漫游的商业区用户。

这里无须费用，安全，并且可以避免上面严寒的天气。

对蒙特利尔大部分人来说，好处是无论清晨还是夜晚，他们都能找到一条快捷直接的位于办公室和地铁或者短途火车车站之间的线路。

因此，对于地铁系统的管理者而言，与系统相联系的60座建筑物和到达地下城的150个出口为城市中使用和乐于使用这一系统的不断增长的人群做出了贡献。

另外，室内通道也起到了缓冲器作用，特别是在繁忙的车站能够减轻高峰时期的交通，像地铁乘客就可以趁机利用下班之后的时间逛逛地下城的商店。

因为能从由地铁造成的免费行人通道获利，对于那些与地铁网络相连的建筑物的物主来说这一切是显而易见的好处的，不管他是否直接为这一连接投过资。

作为回报，这些物主也就能够向他们的租客收取合适的租金。

对于蒙特利尔城而言，地下城有助于减轻主要交叉路段汽车与行人的交通冲突，减少了停车需求，也减少了空气污染。

多亏了地下城和商业街之间的积极合作关系，商业区的核心一直保留着它的活力。

它也成为了一个对于使用商业街和公共空间的人们和私人项目都有益的繁忙且充满生机的地区。

地下城也已经成为了蒙特利尔城市旅游观光的最主要的地区。

INTRODUCTIONMontr éal is well known for his 4 to 5 month′s winter, when in February, temperature can plummet to-34 degrees Celsius and snow accumulation tops 2, 5 meters a year, often accompanied by arctic winds and blinding flurries. On the other hand, summer brings stifling heat, when in July, temperature reach + 32 degrees with a 100% humidity level. With its underground city, however, it has succeeded in extending the commercial and socio-cultural activities of its downtown area over 12 months a year. Unlike some other large North American cities, it is also a people city day and night, and mostly, its commercial streets are alive, bustling, and comparatively safe.This rectangular territory, almost 12 square kilometers in area, is wedged be tween two significant geographical landmarks, the Mont-Royal to the north and the St-Lawrence River to the south. As a result, the city′s major road arteries and the two subway lines run east-west, determining that underground pedestrian passageways and corridors run north-south.Actually, 10 subways stations on these two lines links to the 30 kilometres of underground corridors, indoor public squares and commercial malls and , in effect, a city unto itself. Protected from bad weather above, some 500,000 peoples a day have acces to 60 buildings linked together, representing over 3, 6 million square meters of floor space, which includes 80% of all office space and 35 of all commercial space in downtown district.THE BIRTH OF THE UNDERGROUND CITYAt the end of XIX th Century, congestion of Old Montreal and creation of public squares and spaces gave rise to the emergence of a new city center, further to the north which was, until then, a predominantly residential sector. Spearheading the drive was Canadian National Railways, or CNR, which was to radically change the nature of the area by building a tunnel under Mount Royal between 1912 and 1918 for the Transcontinental train. The railway ended at a small station underneath the “hole” that had become the nightmare of urban planners even well into the 50s, but also the germ of the underground city. Well aware of the fact that it would need to buy more land than immediately necessary for its track acquisition, some 90 000 square metres spanning three blocks, the CNR was able to construct Place Ville-Marie 40 years later. Indeed, without this intelligent foresight on the part of company, the underground city would perhaps not exist today or, certainly, not to the extent it currently does.It was thanks to a job creation program launched during the Depression that workers began partially filling in the “hole” in 1938 to build Central Station, which opened its doors in 1943. From 1944 to 1950, the City attempted to in itiate other subway projects, but without success. These projects, largely inspired by experiences abroad, proposed the construction of two subway lines in the downtown area, located directly under the main arteries and with access to stationplatforms from entrances in the center of the sidewalks.It was in the 1950s that downtown, as we know it today, really began to take shape. The CNR selected the site of the “hole” as the location for its new head office, just behind Central Station. Here too was built the Queen Elisabeth Hotel, a huge hotel of 1,040 rooms with a congress center fronting onto Rene-Levesque Boulevard, formerly known as Dorchester Boulevard recently widened by the City.The leaders of CNR had faith in Montreal, and they envisioned a project of true international status. Together with the Chinese architect Ieoh Ming Pei and the urban planner Vincent Ponte, they began in 1954 to draw up plans for place Ville-Marie.THE FIRST UNDERGROUND PEDESTRIAN W ALKWAYPlace Ville-Marie opened for business in 1962. With its 47 stories cruciform tower, above the commercial mall, two levels of underground parking, and the marshalling yard at the entrance of Central Station, it represented an extraordinary gamble on the part of its promoters. This huge real estate complex with its 285,000 square metres of floor space, and which the area below ground equals that above, was the biggest in the world. Because immediate success, others soon imitated on an even larger scale. Given the pedestrian traffic at Central Station, the commercial mall a Place Ville-Marie was also an instant success.This first generation of Montreal′s underground city, in 1962, linked 500,000 square metres of floor space, comprising the head office of the CNR, Central Station and the Queen Elisabeth Hotel, now joined to Place Ville-Marie by two corridors passing underneath Dorchester Boulevard. The underground city was already multifunctional and extremely lively, even after normal office hours.A few months before the opening of Place Ville-Marie, the municipal authorities had made a decision on the tricky question of where to locate the two down town subway lines, the Metro. They determined that they would be build under east-west and underdeveloped streets. Representing a better potential for redevelopment than the major arteries, the choice of these two streets also meant that any disruption of downtown traffic created by the construction over the next five years would be minimal. Taking advantage of project and the inexpensive costs involved in expropriating land, the City acquired more property than was required with a view to eliminating small pockets of neglected buildings and redesigning the layout of the future Boulevard de Maisonneuve. In doing so, it was in fact following the example set by the CNR 50 years earlier.In 1963, the choice of Montreal for the site of the 1967 Expo World Fair, resulted in a real estate boom and forced the acceleration of construction work on the Metro and bringing forward of two previously planned stations, Square-Victoria and Bonaventure. In joining the Stock Exchange Tower, Chateau-Champlain Hotel, Place du Canada Complex and Place Bonaventure, they add immeasurably to the vitality of the underground city.One cannot speak of the underground city without speaking of the Montreal Metro and its own unique characteristics. First, the bed rock. It was an ideal occasion for joining these stations to large mezzanines above station platforms. These mezzanines, located at the first or second basement level of surrounding buildings, assumed the role of a crossroads or public free area for pedestrians, outside the area controlled by the Metro turnstiles. Access to the stations is possible from the lobbies of neighbouring buildings, through these basements.In 1964, plans for construction of the stations were completed. The City, then in charge of the proposed Metro and owner of the land acquired for that purpose, began to market the excess land by long term leases. The granting of these aerial rights, following the submission of public tenders, allowed construction above the Metro. The majority of Metro stations welcomed their first passengers in 1966, in time for Expo 67, where there were 10 buildings linked directly to downtown stations.EXPANSION IN THE 1970sThe years following Expo 67 were difficult ones for the downtown commercial real estate market and, as a result, for the expansion of the underground city. The announcement that Montreal had won another prestigious international event, the 1976 Summer 01ympic games, revived investor confidence. Public intervention was paramount, particularly in the case of the east downtown, with the Place des Arts/Place d′Armes axis. Because of an wise reallocation of land and the adoption of the first development agreement with the City, construction of Complexe Desjardins in 1974 saw a major breakthrough in plans to link Place des Arts station to the Place d‵Armes Metro stations by a continuous indoor pedestrian corridor. The Complexe Desjardins, with its immense atrium flooded by natural light, was to become a veritable commercial crossroads in the downtown.Of the 20 new projects under construction during this period, seven were authorized by the City to build above the Metro, and a new trend was emerging, as real estate developers wanted to link their new buildings with those already linked to the Metro or those to be.THE CONSOLIDATION OF THE 1980sAfter a brief slowdown in the 1984, construction in the downtown area did not let up until the 1992-93 recession. This time around, however, it was the downtown commercial real estate industry, which for a long time had really wanted to catch up with the increasingly dynamic developments going on in the suburbs, which benefited most from this growth.Three major multifunctional projects were underway almost simultaneously in the city center. Namely, the Cours Mont-Royal, the Place Montreal-Trust and the Promenades-de-la-Cath e drale. All these realizations were the work of developers traditionally associated with suburban commercial centers but now wanting to diversify their activities. In contrast to the giant multifunctional complexes of the 1960s, which had a business/office ratio of 20/80, these new projects opted for a ratio of 40/60. Strategically located in close proximity to the department stores, as the anchors, they were following the structural pattern of the suburban commercial centers. A major plus was that they were link to the Metro and to the commercial Sainte Catherine Street. All these new commercial centers were positioned perpendicular to the Sainte-Catherine Street, thereby avoiding a disruption of pedestrian traffic on the street.The Underground City, as the biggest shopping center in the metropolitan region, accessible by all possible means of transportation, was a reality. The underground city had grown from 12 kilometres of indoor pedestrian passageways in 1984 to almost 22kilometres in 1989.MEGA-PROJECTS OF THE 1990sWith the city still enjoying a healthy economy, and in a race to build the most prestigious and tallest building in Montreal, the beginning of the last decade was synonymous with mega projects. Moreover, while these complexes of over 100 000 square metres of office floor space and minor commercial component, they would be linked to the underground city, using this advantageous position to sell rental space.With the World Trade Centre, the 1250 Rene Levesque, the 1000de La Gaucheti e re, the tunnel linking the Eaton Centre and Place Ville-Marie, the Molson hockey stadium, the new ICAO Head Quarter, etc, the underground city comprise today 30 kilometres of indoor pedestrian corridors, making it one of the longest of its kind in the world.This expansion is not finished yet, as many other real estate projects in the International District, will raise its length, in the next years, to more than 32 kilometres by the end of 2002.WHO PAYS FOR WHATIn short, the Underground city, except for the Metro, could not have been realized without the financial participation of the private sector. It′s only the private developers who have always paid for the construction of those corridors, tunnels and buildings, but also their maintenance, their surveillance and for the responsibility-insurances. The City participation has taken the form of concessions and non-financial incentives to the developers.WHO BENEFITS?The beneficiaries of this underground city are numerous and varied. First of all, the downtown user who walks almost anywhere within the network during Metro opening hours. There is no charge, it is safe, and it is protected from inclement weather above. The advantage for the majority of Montrealers, however, is that, both morning and evening, they have a fast and direct route between their offices and the Metro or commuter train stations.As a result, for the operator of the Metro, the 60 buildings linked to the system and their 150 points of entry to the underground city, representing the same number of open doors to the Metro, contribute to increasing the number of people who use it and enjoy doing so. Moreover, the indoor passageways serve as a buffer to ease rush hours at particularly busy stations, as Metro users take advantage to shop in the underground city after office hours.This is obviously advantageous for the owner of a building linked to this net work, who has directly paid or not for the link, as he benefits from all this free pedestrian traffic generated by the Metro. In turn, the owner is able to charge his commercial tenants an appropriate rental fee.For the City of Montreal, this underground city helps to reduce car-pedestrian conflicts at major intersections, decreases demand for parking, and reduces air pollution. Thanks to this positive relationship between the underground city and the commercial streets, the downtown core retains its vitality, making it a busy, lively area for the benefit of those who use streets and public places as well as for private projects. Finally, the underground city has become one of the city′s leading tourist attractions, adding to the vast choice of things to do and see in Montreal.。