Going deeper underground

Come 2020, residents of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, may find themselves spending more of their time underground as the city looks to enhance the use of its subterranean environment.

The local government has approved a five-year plan on the subject, the first of its kind, "because the city is ready to explore underground", said Chen Lijun, deputy director of the underground space and pipeline department of Hangzhou Municipal Construction Committee.

As the 16,847-sq-km city, which is home to around 6.22 million people, expands further, "exploring the space underground will bring sustainable growth", Chen said.