Abstract: The geological environment is complex and adverse geological conditions such as land subsidence, ground fissures, active faults and karst are common in China. And China is one of the countries most prone to serious geological disasters in the world, which brings unprecedented challenges to Chinas current large-scale development of urban underground space,especially in the constructions of urban underground transient system and comprehensive pipe gallery. In this paper, we describe the distribution, developmental status and engineering hazards of the aforementioned adverse geological environments in China. We point out clearly the issues and challenges facing the underground space development and utilization in these hazardous environments, such as lack of systematic monitoring, lack of theoretical methods and technical support for evaluation and safe usage, unknown mechanism of interactions between adverse geological conditions and underground space, and lack of foresight based planning. We suggest that theories and methods should be developed as soon as possible for assessing the suitability of urban underground space development and utilization in adverse geological environments. Plan and design theory, detection and monitoring techniques, and key technologies for evaluation, safe usage and hazard prevention for urban underground space resources also need to be developed urgently. This study provides important scientific basis and technical guidance for the development, utilization and safe operation of underground space in the aforementioned adverse geological environments.

Key words: urban underground space, development and utilization, adverse geology, land subsidence, ground fissure, active fault, karst