Some aspects on the planning of complex underground roads for motor vehicles in Chinese cities

With the rapid growth of the urban economy and underground space utilization, complex underground roads for motor vehicles are becoming increasingly popular in China. Over the past decade, many Chinese metropolises have adopted this kind of underground transportation system to address the severe traffic problems, protect the environment and save land resources in downtown areas. An integrated planning strategy was also adopted to improve underground space utilization efficiency during the planning. This paper analyzes the planning motivations, characteristics and current challenges of complex underground roads for motor vehicles with typical examples in Chinese cities. Based on the existing cases and planning experience, a 5-step procedure of overall layout planning and an integrated planning strategy are provided and then applied to the planning of the underground road network in Qingdao's core area of Shinan District.