News and Events

Here we share our upcoming events, latest research and news from around the world - if you have any projects or new underground discoveries you would like to share then please let us know!
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Workshop 4: How can design create better underground places?

Date: 29.11.2018

Speakers:
Kate Jeffery - UCL
David West - Studio Egret West
Jeff Shaw - Arup

Thanks to Arup for hosting us for this workshop!

TDUK Summer Reception

Think Deep UK is celebrating its first anniversary - it’s been a busy year with a range of engagement activities focused on the creation of resilient, sustainable and liveable cities through the smart use of underground space. Please join us for our summer drinks reception on the evening of Wed 27th June, where we will present key outcomes from our first year, including sound bites from our three workshops on Social Value, Future Transport and 3D Planning.  

We are pleased to announce that the keynote talk will be delivered by Isabel Dedring, Global Transport Leader for Arup and formerly London’s Deputy Mayor for Transport.

The reception will be hosted in Central London. Places at the reception are limited, please RSVP to thinkdeep@tduk.org by Friday 1st June to reserve your place.

Thanks to our sponsors:

Workshop 3: Planning our Cities in 3D - should and how could we masterplan the subsurface?

Date: 18th April 2018 13:00 - 18:30

Venue: Weston Williamson + Partners 12 Valentine Pl, South Bank, London SE1 8QH

Speakers: 
John Endicott - AECOM Asia
Michael Doyle - TU Wein
Fransje Hooimeijer - TU Delft

Han Admiral - Enprodes
Antonia Cornaro - Amberg Engineering
Elizabeth Reynolds - Urben

Agenda:
1. Welcome and Introduction
2. Presentations
3. Work in Groups – Part 1
4. Coffee Break with refreshments
5. Presentation
6. Work in Groups - Part 2
7. Book Presentation
8. Networking

The Workshop:
With Singapore announcing that it intends to produce a masterplan of its underground spaces by 2019, and Paris hosting and international competition to reinvent hidden spaces beneath the city, is it time for UK cities to consider masterplanning the ground beneath them? What for example, could a 3D spatial plan for London look like?
Our workshop will bring together international experts in urban planning, digital mapping, major infrastructure projects and urban geosciences to:

• Consider why the subsurface is important for delivering the expectations we have for our urban environments

• Explain current strategic planning initiatives in Singapore & Hong Kong

• Provide an overview of emerging technologies in urban subsurface mapping

• Learn how the Netherlands are designing resilient, durable (subsurface) infrastructure

This workshop provides a step towards improved planning, governance and management of urban underground space. 
Following the workshop, Han Admiraal and Antonia Cornaro will present their new book "Underground Spaces Unveiled". 
Join representatives from AECOM, British Geological Survey, Dr. Sauer & Partners, University College London, Urben, Steel Associates, Transport for London, Weston Williamson + Partners and more for an inspiring afternoon with Think Deep UK!

Workshop 2: Future Transportation (people & freight) – how will we be moving in the future?

Date: 30th November 2017 12:45 - 18:00.

Venue: PLP Architecture, Ibex House, 42-47, Minories, London EC3N 1DY

Speakers:
Yvette Körber (CEO) - Amberg Loglay
Christian Bocci (Partner) - WestonWilliamson+Partners
Paul McCormick (Managing Director) - AECOM
Lars Hesselgren (Director) - PLP Architecture

Agenda:
1. Welcome and Introduction
2. Presentations
3. Work in Groups – Part 1
4. Presentations
5. Coffee Break with refreshments
6. Work in Groups – Part 2
7. Future Work & Roadmap
8. Networking

The Workshop:
Our workshop will bring together experts in transportation, the built and natural environments and urban geosciences to:
·         Present thought provoking lectures
·        Consider blue-sky future scenarios
·         Discuss the future of transportation and how it applies to urban underground space
·         Discuss tools and methods to predict future need
·         Work through scenarios and apply principle of time, depth and human factors
This workshop provides a step towards improved planning, governance and management of urban underground space.
 
Join representatives from AECOM, Amberg Loglay, British Geological Survey, Dr. Sauer & Partners, Mott MacDonald, University College London, Urben, PLP Architecture, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Steel Associates, Transport for London, Weston Williamson + Partners and others for an inspiring afternoon with Think Deep UK!

Workshop 1 summary:
Social benefits of underground space:
moving from cost to value

In October 2017 Think Deep UK brought together urban planners, economists, geotechnical engineers, geologists, tunnellers, public servants, researchers and other professionals to debate the social value of urban underground space.  Hosted at IDEA London, and under the guidance of social value experts from PwC, HS2, Arup and Volterra, the workshop participants considered how we might define and measure the social value delivered by underground space.

Social value is ambiguous

Listening to Stuart Jefford (PwC) and Bridget Jackson (HS2) it became clear that social value is not clearly defined, that there are many different definitions, frameworks, guides and policy documents for social value which generates confusion and ambiguity.  Some define social value in its narrowest sense, others include environmental and economic benefits.  Some encourage economic valuation and financial indicators whilst other advocate more qualitative measures.  Social value as concept is not mainstream and government projects tend to adopt ‘benefits management’ as a broader framework.

The principal drivers to evaluate social value for large infrastructure projects appear to be cost and risk.  From the outset the business case needs to be proved and as such the social value assessment is intimately linked with the cost-benefit analysis and the design life of the scheme. As such, only the tractable, evidence-based social benefits can be easily accounted for.  Is such a process ‘future proof’?  How can we go beyond domain-specific objectives and context-specific extrapolations to capture the broader societal need over future generations?

Benefits and beneficiaries, connectivity and community

There was consensus among the experts at the workshop that underground development is currently viewed as problematic, the benefits are not highlighted sufficiently and the evidence base for the benefits needs articulating.  The challenge to balance individual preferences, community benefits and national interests was acknowledged as was the trade-off between long-term benefits and short-term costs.  Communicating the social benefits and impacts was considered key, explaining the value of underground space utilisation and making the benefits more visible. 

Early stage consultation with potential beneficiaries and community-led engagement were considered markers of success, with our speakers highlighting individual successes where public consultation had led to enhancement of social value - and not always with financial implications.  Such approaches have potential to refocus project development from purely economic endeavours to socially inclusive processes.  In this way the full potential of underground development, which may have a higher initial cost but greater long-term benefits, could be realised.

Views from the experts

"If social value is a proactive part of a project, right from the feasibility stage, we have a clearer way to communicate to the public."

"We need to find better ways to include social value in project appraisal. If we do that we will probably come up with different and better answers."

"When we articulate value in a traditional way we take quite a singular view to it. But when you start to look at the social and environmental benefits, you can start to articulate the story in a way of multiple beneficiaries."

"Often we build under the ground to facilitate other things elsewhere - the benefits are not in the underground space itself but what it allows to be created on the surface"

Our next workshop is on Future Transport, to be held in London on the 30th November.  To register your interest please email thinkdeep@tduk.org

Event kicked off Hyperloop One’s Global Challenge meetings on June 7th with European semi finalists who demonstrated how their proposals will economically benefit their region to a panel of experts in transportation, technology, economics and innovation. The UK strong points are the Northern ARC, UK Spine (North-South Connector) and UK Scotland-Wales.

From the use of underground space perspective it was clear that teams are thinking about tunnels & underground stations to deliver this system into our busy cities. This makes us think even more about the importance of strategic planning & safeguarding of underground space. Think Deep UK will certainly focus on this challenge in 2017 to help create cities we need. 

PRESENTATIONS by HYPERLOOP ONE:

• Rob Lloyd, CEO & Board Member

• Josh Giegel, Co-Founder & President of Engineering

• Dr. Alan James, VP of Worldwide Business Development

PANEL DISCUSSION ABOUT THE FUTURE OF TRANSPORTATION:

• Isabel Dedring, Formerly Mayor of London’s Deputy Mayor for Transport, Global Transport Leader at Arup

• Chris Brown, Partner Norton Rose Fulbright, and global head of Financial Investors group

• Risto Penttilä, CEO, Finland Chamber of Commerce and Secretary General of European Business Leaders’ Convention