Letters to the Editor
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Underground utilities
Yes, Tom-
In many German cities, the service utilities run under the sidewalks, which are either slabs, or more common- paving stones (very nice look, I might add). Access is simple, and easy to repair.
Moving utilities underground makes sense in many densely populated urban areas. Since most of Europe falls under that category, most utilities are underground. There are not many places in the USA where that would be cost-effective, except for example, Much of NY City, but it is still not unknown this side of the Atlantic. There are streets in NYC that literally have to be excavated with teaspoons because there is such a tangle of stuff underground!
Long-distance power transmission however, is still largely above-ground all over. Although if the kooky fringe who believe that power lines radiate Venusian Death Rays had their way, everything would be underground- but that's another discussion.