Abstract Addis Ababa is also experiencing rapid urbanization, land scarcity, congestion and strain on the surface facilities and environmental resources. The city may have a potential solution of the problem through underground urban space (UUS) as it helps to increase the city functional capacity and still leave the surface land to mobility, green spaces, housing, and amenities. This study explores the role of underground development as a part of sustainable urban planning of Addis Ababa by analyzing policy, planning strategies, governance assessment and other city lessons. The report is founded on a mixed-methods research method, including an analysis of policy, stakeholder consultation, and case study, defining the main barriers and facilitating factors to underground development in Addis Ababa. Results indicate that the underground potential of the city is motivated by land shortage, increasing transport needs, environmental imperatives, and national development agenda. Challenges though, include regulatory loopholes, disjointed institutions, and limited funding, as well as poor public awareness. Lack of land-use rights in underground spaces and zoning and building codes are some of the issues that make it challenging to invest and cooperate among agencies. The social acceptance is also a critical factor in implementation of underground systems. Security, comfort, and cultural fit are concerns of the populace that can constrain the use of underground facilities though all these factors can be addressed by ensuring that the design factors like lighting, ventilation, and accessibility are given priority. Another finding of the study is that there is low awareness among the populace and appeals to systematic communication, consultation, and demonstration projects are needed to create trust. Based on the international experience, the research highlights that the development of underground spaces should be based on the complex master planning, backed by geology research, 3D cadastral systems, harmonized governance, bankable financing frameworks (e.g., PPPs, land-value capture), and technology-based planning (e.g., BIM/GIS, sensor monitoring). The examples of underground master planning in Helsinki and integrated underground transport and commercial system in Montreal can give some clarification. The dissertation reaches a conclusion that the city of Addis Ababa needs to initiate policy change (land-use rights, zoning), institutional change (coordinating authority), planning (subsurface mapping), capacity-building, and mobilization of the private-sector by transparent PPPs and incentives. The study is a contribution to the research on underground urbanism in African cities by providing the principles that are globally applicable and relevant to the local issues of governance and planning.
ALEMAYEHU et al. (Fri,) studied this question.