Urban planning: Precious resources far below the surface

Kai Zosseder at the geothermal plant of Stadtwerke München in Messestadt Riem. Geothermal energy is one of the many resources below ground. Image: U. Benz / TUM, Die Fotoproduktion wurde mit Unterstützung der Stadtwerke München durchgeführt, steht aber in keinem Projektzusammenhang mit den SWM / the photo procduction is not directly related to SWM projects TUM geologists create 3D underground model of Munich - Our cities are growing. This leads to increasing use of resources below ground, for example when building underground train systems, using geothermal heat or developing drinking water supplies. Researchers at TUM have generated a 3D underground model of Munich. It has yielded surprising insights, as Dr. Kai Zosseder of the Chair of Hydrogeology explains. Dr. Zosseder, why do we need to manage the underground? Projections indicate that 70 percent of the world's population will live in cities by 2050. But cities not only expand outward and upward, but also downward - for example through development of the underground rail network or the construction of underground garages. The underground also provides important resources for cities, including groundwater, which is needed as industrial and drinking water or geothermal heat as a renewable energy source. In addition, it offers heat storage potential, which is urgently needed for greater flexibility in the heat supply. Naturally these many potential uses of the underground result in conflicting demands where multiple uses are not possible. Some uses can complement one another, however. Consequently, the development planning must be sustainable to ensure optimal utilization of the potentials. How can we ensure this?