Mapping subsurface qualities for planning purposes: a pilot study
Paper in proceeding, 2021

The subsurface can be used for a variety of purposes in the urban environment and the subsurface should ultimately be seen as a multifunctional resource, offering a multitude of benefits to humans and the society. Underground construction is commonly planned according to the first come, first served principle and later claims on other resources in the subsurface will have to adapt, often at high costs, or are made impossible. This pilot study is a first step in developing a method aiming to investigate a procedure for mapping an area's subsurface resources, having the multifunctionality of the subsurface in mind, and integrating this information into urban planning processes. A mapping of the existing resources (supporting, provisioning, regulating, cultural) used at present and their future potential is presented, and an analysis, using an interaction matrix, of how the different subsurface resources can influence each other (conflicts and synergies) if the use(s) changes. Conclusions are that: 1) the concept of geosystem services can strongly support the communication about the subsurface between civil/geotechnical engineers and planners; 2) there is a need at the municipality or city level for systematised and digital 3D archives for easy access to information in relevant format; 3) planning based on the perspective that the subsurface has multiple resources, makes subsurface planning not only a metropolitan issue but also relevant for smaller municipalities. Further work is suggested to: i) explore the concept of geosystem services in a planning context; ii) suggest at which planning level different geosystem services can be optimally managed; and iii) develop tools to support planners for handling subsurface conflicts and acknowledge synergies.

Urban environments

Multiple resources

Interaction matrices

Mapping

Subsurface planning

Underground construction

Planning process

Planning

Subsurface quality

Multifunctionality

Author

Jenny Norrman

Chalmers, Architecture and Civil Engineering, Geology and Geotechnics

Lars O Ericsson

Chalmers, Architecture and Civil Engineering, Geology and Geotechnics

Kristina L. Nilsson

Luleå University of Technology

Yevheniya Volchko

Chalmers, Architecture and Civil Engineering, Geology and Geotechnics

Anders Markstedt

Chalmers, Architecture and Civil Engineering, Geology and Geotechnics

Victoria Svahn

Chalmers, Architecture and Civil Engineering, Geology and Geotechnics

City of Gothenburg

IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science

17551307 (ISSN) 17551315 (eISSN)

Vol. 703 1 012011

17th World Conference of the Associated Research Centers for the Urban Underground Space: Integrated Underground Solutions for Compact Metropolitan Cities, ACUUS 2020
Helsinki, virtual, Finland,

SUB Sustainable use of underground space

BeFo - Rock engineering research foundation, 2016-07-01 -- 2021-08-31.

Formas (942-2016-50), 2016-07-01 -- 2021-06-30.

Driving Forces

Sustainable development

Areas of Advance

Building Futures (2010-2018)

Subject Categories

Other Earth and Related Environmental Sciences

Other Civil Engineering

DOI

10.1088/1755-1315/703/1/012011

More information

Latest update

3/23/2022