Abstract
The purpose of this special session is to expand urbanism to think beyond the obvious of “above ground”, and amplify the future of cities, which is impossible without integrating the subsurface into the urban fabric. The field of underground urbanism is still emerging. At the same time, cities are expanding beneath the surface — albeit in an unplanned manner. This is already leading to a scramble for space below the surface, specifically where transport needs and energy needs are addressed through a single policy approach rather than a multi-policy approach. The idea of treating the subsurface as a commons rather than a multitude of privatized spaces developing autonomously is something that needs to be taken up by the planning community. Session structure: - 4-5 speakers; ITACUS co-chairs Han Admiraal and Antonia Cornaro kickstart with “What is underground urbanism” - Additional 4-5 speakers will share their perspectives and/or works on “the importance of underground urbanism” and “ what is being done or can be done” - 10 minutes of engagement exercise (either through polling or something more interesting) - interspersed between presentations. - 40 minutes of presentation and 40 minutes of discussion; presentations to be concise and snappy, max. 10 minutes each Time per presentation can be adjusted to align with Congress schedule
