Urban underground space: Solving the problems of today’s cities

• Published in: Tunnelling and underground space technology Vol. 55; pp. 245 - 248
• Main Author: Broere, Wout
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-05-2016
• Subjects: Demand; Grounds; Infrastructure; Landscapes; Mass transit; Optimization; Residential development; Tunnelling; Underground space; Underground structures; Urban planning; Underground space; Tunnelling; Mass transit; Urban planning
• ISSN: 0886-7798; 1878-4364
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tust.2015.11.012

•Use of underground space in solving the problems of modern cities is discussed.•Common infrastructure and environmental problems are paired with urban underground solutions.•Awareness of engineers, planners and decision makers as an essential first step is discussed.
The world-wide trend of increased urbanisation creates problems for expanding and newly-developing cities alike. Population increase leads to an increased demand for reliable infrastructure, nowadays combined with a need for increased energy efficiency and a higher environmental awareness of the public. The use of underground space can help cities meet these increased demands while remaining compact, or find the space needed to include new functions in an existing city landscape. In many cases, underground solutions to urban problems are only considered if all other (above ground) options have been exhausted. When underground solutions are considered and evaluated from the planning or initial project stages onwards, more optimal solutions will become possible.
Use of the underground is not limited to large scale infrastructure projects. This paper also shows innovative use of the underground for commercial and residential use, storage, water conveyance and treatment, and heritage conservation, and highlights how use of underground can bring more optimal solutions for urban development.