Factors in the development of urban underground space surrounding metro stations: A case study of Osaka, Japan

Most previous studies have simply revealed the relationship between urban underground space (UUS) potential and influential factors for a city but have not revealed the relationship for each metro station, or lack quantitative analyses of their relationship. Actually, it is essential to identify the relationship of UUS area (UUSA) and relative factors because UUS tends to be aggregated around metro stations. This study investigated the quantitative relationship between several candidate influential factors and the UUS distribution surrounding metro stations on two lines in Osaka, Japan. A correlation regression analysis showed that passenger flow rate and land price were highly related with UUSA. Although the land use index, floor area ratio, and transfer line number did not have significant linear relationships, the spatial distribution of land use was related with UUSA. We argue that underground shopping malls should be constructed in station areas with high passenger flow rate, high land price, and large commercial plots. This model may be of great assistance to decision-makers owing to its realistic forecasts for UUS development.