Lessons learnt from Urban Underground Space use in Shanghai—From Lujiazui Business District to Hongqiao Central Business District ☆

Abstract This paper presents a case study on Urban Underground Space (UUS) use in Shanghai, China. Shanghai is at the forefront of China’s modernization construction, and also sets an example for other cities in China in the field of UUS use. Surging from 2 million m 2 in the early 1990s to over 68 million m 2 in recent years, the amount of UUS in Shanghai has reached a scale previously unimaginable. From the process of Shanghai UUS development, we can learn either valuable experiences from cases like Hongqiao Central Business District (CBD) or, inevitably, profound lessons from Lujiazui Business District. Reviewing and comparing such cases will demonstrate the importance of planning and legal procedures to the development and utilization of UUS and can facilitate the further promotion of UUS use in Shanghai.