Cluster analysis of underground space in the core area of new districts from the perspective of urban morphology

Extensive underground space development worldwide has significantly contributed to the sustainability of social, ecological, and economic growth. In view of the tendency towards haphazard urban sprawling during the development of new areas in China, underground spaces have been increasingly utilized to create sustainable and resilient urban built environments. However, insufficient attention has been paid to their morphological characteristics, resulting in a lack of sustainable and resilient underground space morphological planning and design techniques. To bridge this gap, we established a computational morphology indicator system pertaining to underground spaces, considering land use, spatial distribution, and street networks. We selected 20 underground spaces in well-developed core areas of new districts in China. Hierarchical cluster analysis was adopted to investigate the morphological features of underground spaces. Additionally, the typology of underground space morphology and the corresponding characteristics were systematically summarized to facilitate decision-making for different patterns of underground space planning.