A cheery alternative to government plans to dig up the greenbelt for housing was proposed last week by Anthony Judge of Brussels. He suggests that digging downwards would be preferable, opening up "huge volumes of space" for housing beneath central London, all a few minutes commute from work. In a letter to New Scientist , he fingers some groups who would want to live in these sunless surroundings - "people such as students and nurses". What, no academics?