Concrete Analysis | Shanghai shows it’s serious about using underground space
As above-ground space continues to be developed, officials are digging below the surface to create extra leisure and retail space that offer value
Shanghai is one of the largest cities in the world and is expected to continue to grow in the future.
As with other major cities, as Shanghai expands, more above-ground space will be developed.
At the same time, Shanghai's population will require better-quality space to live in, to work in and to spend their leisure time in.
One resource that has the potential to be better developed and used in Shanghai is the city's underground space.
Taking into consideration the large amount of underground space there already is in Shanghai and as an indicator of how seriously the municipality is taking its existing and future underground property assets, the Shanghai government recently put into practice a new directive titled "Shanghai Underground Space Planning and Construction Regulations".
Its main purpose is to ensure the enhancement of planning and construction management of underground space development in Shanghai. According to the document, all development of underground space should be in line with the overall development plan for the city.