ITA Committee on Underground Space

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ITA Committee on Underground Space

ITACUS, the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association’s Committee on Underground Space. At ITACUS we believe in an urban underground future.

The urban underground space in our experience is an often overlooked asset of cities. learn more about our various activity groups! https://about.ita-aites.org/wg-committees/itacus/activity-groups

20/05/2026

20 young professionals. One bold challenge. Endless ideas.

At our Young Professionals Think Deep Program in Montreal, participants developed visionary concepts for the urban transformation of the Old Harbor — reimagining how the city can reconnect with its waterfront, its people, and its future.

The teams explored innovative ideas across geology, hydrogeology, ecology, community development, real estate, housing, commerce, and recreation — creating multidisciplinary visions that bridge the city center with the waterfront while unlocking new opportunities for vibrant urban life.

From underground thinking to waterfront revival, the next generation brought creativity, energy, and bold perspectives to the future of the Old Harbor.

thanks to our local hosts, all our participants and coordinators and tutors!!!

08/05/2026

Join us in Montreal for a captivating young professional think deep program session! At WTC2026 in Montreal. Hosted by

12/03/2026

leading from the front: women who contribute to the tunneling world! awesome round table organized by@itaym35 with ITA executive director and former president and itacus chair

13/02/2026

The Underground is Climate Infrastructure: Rethinking Urban Space for a Hotter Future

As part of Delhi Climate Innovation Week, ITACUS, in partnership with the Tunnelling Association of India and TAI Young Members, is convening a session in New Delhi to explore the role of underground and sub-surface space as climate infrastructure.

The discussion brings together perspectives from tunnelling, urban planning, climate research, and infrastructure practice to examine how underground design can contribute to thermal comfort, flood resilience, integrated utilities, mobility corridors, district energy systems, and long-term urban adaptability in Indian cities.

This session positions underground space not as hidden infrastructure, but as an active contributor to climate-resilient urban futures.

Date: 25 February
Venue: CBIP Conference Hall, New Delhi

Registration link: https://luma.com/dfiocp8m

25/01/2026

At the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos, the ITA-AITES Committee on Underground Space, ITACUS, was present on the ground to contribute to conversations that increasingly recognise the role of resilient, invisible infrastructure in a world under pressure.

Led by Antonia Cornaro and Mahak Agrawal, ITACUS - the ITA Committee on Underground Space engaged across formal and informal settings to bring attention to how underground space, and the systems beneath our cities, are central to climate adaptation, urban resilience, and long term sustainability.

This year’s Davos discussions reflected a noticeable shift. While climate ambition remains present, much of the focus has moved towards resilience, adaptation, and managing climate impacts already underway. In this context, ITACUS highlighted the importance of underground infrastructure not as a technical afterthought, but as a strategic asset for cities facing climate, energy, and space constraints.

Key engagements included discussions on information integrity in climate and infrastructure decision making, the need for systems level thinking beyond surface solutions, and the role of underground space in enabling resilient urban transitions. Conversations reinforced that effective implementation depends not only on innovation, but on trust, clarity, and long term planning.

Davos remains a place for dialogue rather than delivery. For ITACUS, the value lay in connecting with a diverse set of stakeholders, testing ideas, and ensuring that underground space continues to be part of global conversations on sustainable and resilient cities.

The work continues beyond Davos, where real implementation takes place.

Infrastructure

22/01/2026

Itacus is thrilled to have been at WEF forum in Davos with talks .ch , , and .

20/01/2026

The 7th international conference on Changing Cities
CCVII: Spatial, Design, Landscape, Heritage and Socio-Economic dimensions
Main theme: “Artificial intelligence enhancing Cultural Heritage and Tourism Development in smart cities”
15-19 June 2026, Spetses Island, Greece

For more information: https://changingcities.prd.uth.gr/cc/

21/12/2025

Think 💭 deeper

As we reflect on the past year with ITACUS — the ITA Committee on Underground Space, it’s inspiring to see how our vision of “going deeper” has continued to resonate across global platforms, events and collaborations. From contributing to high-level dialogues at the World Systemic Forum and World Economic Forum in Davos to advancing urban subterranean innovation at WTC 2025 in Stockholm to ACUUS 2025 of ACUUS 2025 and ISOCARP - International Society of City and Regional Planners as well as ITACET Foundation for Continuous Education and Training on Tunnelling and Underground Space Use , our community has championed underground space as a critical piece of resilient and sustainable urban futures.

Key milestones included:
• Engaging in systemic resilience and sustainability conversations linking underground and outer space innovation.
• Driving thought leadership on urban mobility, spatial planning and underground integration at WTC 2025.
• Sharing insights and research reports through our Young Professional Think Deep Programme and associated publications.
• Participating actively in global congresses and climate-resilience dialogues, including sessions in Stockholm, New Delhi, Liechtenstein, Belgrade and Riyadh.

A huge thank you to our members, partners and collaborators, as well
as our mothership ITA-AITES for bringing underground space into conversations about climate resilience, policy, planning and innovation. Excited for what’s ahead!

🔎 “The next level up is down” — together, we are elevating the underground narrative.

The new 🆕 call for our upcoming Young professional think deep programme (YPTDP) jointly with ISOCARP - International Society of City and Regional Planners a and TAC Tunnelling Association of Canada is out: Apply now!: https://lnkd.in/eZdQGYgi

12/12/2025

How do cities become cooler, safer and more resilient?
By looking not only above ground, but beneath it.
At the ISOCARP World Planning Congress in Riyadh, ITACUS Board Member Mahak Agrawal brought this question to the spotlight as she led and moderated a powerful Special Session on underground space and urban resilience.

Mahak guided the room through a fresh, accessible way of thinking about the layers beneath our cities. Not as leftover spaces, but as strategic assets that can keep cities cooler, safer and more adaptive.

She was joined by two exceptional voices:
~ Jenny Yan, Advisor of ITA-AITES and Past President, whose insights on systemic climate solutions reminded us that resilience begins with bold, adaptive thinking.
~ Youssef Diab, Scientific Ambassador of ITACUS who shared inspiring examples from Paris on how circularity can transform abandoned underground spaces into meaningful urban assets.

Together, the Session made one thing clear. To build future-ready cities, we must rethink the ground we walk on and the potential it holds.

Thank you to everyone who showed up early with curiosity and energy. The work below ground is only getting started.

28/11/2025

Most cities treat underground space as an afterthought… or a place to hide the things we do not want to see 🫣

ITACUS’ Mahak Agrawal has spent the past few years challenging that mindset, including her own.

After months of work behind the scenes with ITACUS, the ITA Committee on Underground Space, and ITA-AITES, she has curated a Special Session for the ISOCARP World Planning Congress in Riyadh that brings planners, engineers and climate experts together to rethink underground space as a climate resilience asset, not just a construction challenge.

Why does this matter for our cities?

If we keep fighting over limited surface land, we risk losing: public space, nature, and climate chaos we cannot afford to manage.

Proactive underground planning can help cities:

💧 store extreme rainfall safely
🔌 protect critical infrastructure
🌿 unlock land for parks and people
⚡ support energy transitions
❄️ stabilise temperatures and reduce cooling demand

Cities that master both the surface and the subsurface adapt faster and thrive longer.

Our very own Mahak will be moderating the conversation with two outstanding experts, Jenny Yan (ITA-AITES Advisor and Past President) and Youssef Diab (Scientific Ambassador to ITACUS), who bring global experience from China, France, the Middle East and beyond.

If you work on cities, climate or infrastructure, this session may shift how you think about space and resilience.

📍 Riyadh
🗓 2 December
⏰ 8:00 to 9:30 am (GMT+3)

Yes, it is early. While many will still be contemplating one more trip to the breakfast buffet, we will be digging deeper with a strong coffee and an even stronger discussion ☕️

Address

Riyadh

Website

https://about.ita-aites.org/wg-committees/itacus

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