Geological problems and economic evaluation for underground space utilization

The urban geological environment should be the main carrier for the socio-economic system, a comprehensive geological survey and economic evaluation provide the basis for sustainable development of underground space resources. According to the experience of new town planning in China, there is a need for scientific exploration and planning for underground space in order to overcome the limitations of available urban surface space. Through in-depth analysis of geological background in the Beijing area, some typical geological engineering and geo-environmental problems are put forward in this study, such as changing of groundwater level, deterioration of groundwater quality, land subsidence, active faults, hazardous gas and covered karst collapse. In addition, it is necessary to incorporate three-dimensional urban planning into conventional planning practices with a dynamic decision-making process. For Beijing, economic evaluation, including the environmental security, land-use regulations, public finance and risk management of underground space is also forecasted in this study.