Integrated governance of the urban subsurface - a systems-based approach

The ground our cities are built on has always been a constitutive part of urban life, but is only in recent decades starting to become recognised by built environment professionals and academics as an area that might require more intentional governance. While the task of doing so is usually assigned to the realm of urban planning, a major body of literature engaging with this stems from the engineering discipline. This thesis draws on systems thinking and uses London as a case study to bridge these two disciplines and confront currently engineering-centred ideas of urban underground governance. Applying a mixed methods strategy, the thesis presents a review of planning legislation, affirming the central position of engineers and Local Planning Authorities in the current governance arrangement around London’s subsurface. Overarching theoretical and strategic suggestions are drawn from a thematic analysis of interviews with tunnelling and planning professionals, designed to provide insights into discipline specific perceptions of the urban underground, with additional insights provided by a questionnaire with a broader group of practitioners. The research shows that the spatio-material context of the ground is underrecognised when specific functions are managed within it and that despite growing engagement in the field, governance of the subsurface remains fragmented across sectors as well as temporal scales. The findings indicate that (a) an integrated data format and repository and (b) an integrated evaluation of priority for interventions in the subsurface could serve as enabling mechanisms towards a more holistic understanding of subsurface value that extends beyond purely financial assessments, and moves towards more integrated overall strategies. Reflection on ownership models, specific local contexts, early citizen engagement, and consideration of pathways are shown to be key elements of a potentially broader conversation about the role of the subsurface in cities like London today and in the future