The design of the 24-storey underground garage soon to be built in Lujiazui, Shanghai's Pudong New Area. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Shanghai plans to build a 24-storey underground garage at the Dongfang Road in Lujiazui, the city's Pudong New Area, authorities announced at the Shanghai International City and Architecture Expo that ran from Oct 31 to Nov 2.

The move aims to be a spatially conscious way of increasing the parking options in an area with well-documented congestion issues.

The underground garage will be 56 meters deep, cover an area of 200 square meters and have a maximum capacity of 200 vehicles. The garage assigns vehicles to different levels corresponding to their type, for instance, SUVs will be assigned a specific area.

Unlike traditional drive-in parking garages, the Lujiazui facility is operated electronically by special elevators that deliver cars to their allocated spots. Drivers simply have to deliver their car to the elevator entrance and let technology do the rest of the work.

The development plan is currently undergoing the approval procedure, according to the local authorities.