Underground space utilisation for urban renewal

Abstract

The rapid increase in world population in the 21st century, with associated transport and environmental problems, has encouraged the development of urban underground spaces as an optimal solution in many occasions, including urban renewal schemes. This paper reviews literature on the utilisation of urban underground space for urban renewal to provide a better understanding of how urban underground space can contribute to urban renewal, and of challenges and successes in achieving the goals. The paper concludes that urban underground space present new development opportunities (e.g. land/space supply, less traffic congestion, compact city development, and urban sustainable development) in regeneration of existing urban land. Urban underground spaces, as valuable resources and efficient and effective tools for urban renewal, should be considered by decision-makers for transforming existing urban areas, stimulating vibrant and denser development and mixed land use.

The Integrated Development Strategy of Coastal Industrial Areas and City Based on Underground Space Development

“…Modern cities are developing in the direction of centralized and intensive use of functions and space; however, the development of cities has not amended the urban environment [24]. As an emerging first-tier city, Qingdao is also fronting the shortage of land resources like other first-tier cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.…”

“…Through underground space development, multilevel modern urban space can be created to improve urban functions and the environment. In addition, creating a living space full of bright light and green areas on the ground provides residents with a peaceful and comfortable experience, while using underground space to accommodate urban functions [24]. The project advocates the function of underground space in the Geofluids vertical commercial space area, such as subways, parking, underground walking area, and integrated pipe gallery (Figure 6), which has increased the development intensity of the unit land space and opened up more development space for the city.…”

“…Resources. The development of underground space enables more effective use of urban public resources [24]. Different public resources exert different impacts on urban development.…”

The Impact of Impervious Surface Expansion on Soil Organic Carbon: A Case Study of 0–300 cm Soil Layer in Guangzhou City

“…Adding spaces for the construction of building foundations and for the installation of facilities, such as pipes, wires and ventilating ducts, the depth of soil extraction for buildings with underground parking requires a deeper depth than 300 cm. Large utility lines, subways, car park facilities and malls have been constructed under the urban surface in many big cities around the world [31,32], especially in China where high-rise buildings with underground parking lots are widely distributed in many medium-sized or big cities. Although the depth of soil excavation in many underground space utilizations is deeper than the top 100 cm soil layer, most published studies on urban SOC storage ignored the carbon below a depth of 100 cm.…”

The transformation of a trade fair and exhibition centre into a field hospital for COVID-19 patients via multi-utility tunnels

“…Most of the existing MUT systems are located in the subsoil of the road space of the cities and were built at the same time as new urban developments ( Canto-Perello and Curiel-Esparza, 2001 , Canto-Perello and Curiel-Esparza, 2013 , Glerum, 1995 , Goel, 2001 , He et al, 2012 , Hulme and Burchell, 1999 , Hunt and Rogers, 2005 , Luo et al, 2020 , Phienwej, 1998 , Rogers and Hunt, 2006 , Yang and Peng, 2016 ), or also as part of the urban renewal and regeneration of historical centres ( Valdenebro and Gimena, 2018 , Valdenebro et al, 2019 , Cui et al, 2021 ).…”