Subsurface workshop tackles transport

19 December 2017


Great Britain - On 30 November Think Deep UK (TDUK) hosted a workshop in London to explore future transportation, with an interactive programme of presentations and working in small groups to consider future development of urban underground space with cities’ transportation requirements in mind.

TDUK is a joint effort between the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association Committee on Underground Space and the International Society of City and Regional Planners. This group of built environment professionals—among the workshop attendees were representatives from architecture, tunnelling, urban planning, geotechnical science—is committed to creating resilient, sustainable and liveable cities through smart use of underground space.

“The result from the parties’ hard work and input allows us to think innovatively about an urban design framework,” said Christian Bocci, partner at WestonWilliamson+Partners and co-founder of TDUK. “We will be developing a number of different model types to help us plan for future transport, particularly with reference to underground space and the potential for safeguarding zones, routes and area.”

This was the second in a series of three events TDUK has organised, with the first looking at social value and held in September. In February/March 2018 TDUK is planning to host a third workshop dedicated to Urban Planning in 3D. Organisers are framing the discussion around questions of should there be a spatial development plan for the subsurface of our cities? And, what could a 3D plan look like for London?

“Cities are complex, multi-layered spaces. As the subsurface becomes more congested with vital infrastructure, building foundations, and miscellaneous ‘space junk’, the options for cities become more limited. From ancient China, to the Roman empire, and the town and country planning movement in England, cities have used spatial planning as a tool to improve quality of life.”

TDUK said it will use these collaborative events to generate white papers on the associated topics. To register your interest in the upcoming workshop please send an email to thinkdeep@tduk.org.