TU1206 - SUB-URBAN - A European network to improve understanding and use of the ground beneath our cities

Increasing urbanisation throughout the world challenges the sustainable development and resilience of cities. Despite this, the importance of the ground beneath cities is under-recognised and often overlooked. The main aim of the Action is to provide a long-needed contribution to greater interaction and networking, and so transform the relationship between experts who develop urban subsurface knowledge and those who can benefit most from it – urban decision makers, practitioners and the wider research community. The Action will establish a network to co-ordinate, integrate and accelerate the world-leading research into modelling the subsurface taking place in European institutions and to develop a Toolbox to enable subsurface knowledge to be widely disseminated.

Thus, to maximise the economic, social and environmental benefits of urban subsurface resources and ecosystem services on which cities depend, the Action will:

• Draw together collective research capabilities in 3D/4D characterisation, prediction and visualisation of the subsurface
• Deliver this in appropriate forms
• Provide training and continuing support and advice to better inform and empower decision makers and other end-users
• Foster development of policy which reflects the importance of the urban subsurface
• Recommend the basis for improved availability, initial use and re-use of subsurface data.