The 6th International Conference on ''Underground Space and Urban Planning'' (EUS 95) held in Paris, Centre des Congrès de La Villette, from September 26 to 29 1995, symbolizes the renewal of a French tradition represented by the works of the "Groupe d'Etude du Centre Urbain Souterrain" (GECUS) founded in Paris in 1933. Its 6th International Congress was cancelled in 1975 because of the death of Edouard Utudjian, its leader.Uses of the underground are extremely various and variable according to continents, climates and cultures. But cities seem to be the place where they represent the greatest stakes, a controversial topic, a great specificity and major complexities. That is why the organizers of the Paris Conference have chosen to dedicate their Conference to Underground Space and Urban Planning.

More than 100 papers from nearly 20 countries (Canada, China, Finland, France, Hong-Kong, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Norway, The Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, United-Kingdom and USA) are presented in this document.Each workshop tries to connect technical approaches with humanistic ones in several fields which are of major interest for our cities: safety, ambiances, networks and transportation, architecture and planning, spatial and technical interfaces, patrimonia, investigation and surveying, city planning. All of them show a need for research and international comparison. All of them also point the fact that the study of underground space questions the roles and methods of planners and architects.That does not mean that we want the promotion of universal and systematic use of underground. The Paris Conference had many objectives: to raise the problems of the saturation of the cities, of the preservation of their patrimonia, of the need for urbanity and quality of their facilities. Therefore, the third dimension — i.e. depth — must be taken into account if only because it plays already a major role in the city.

Sabine BARLES (ed.)

Organizing Committee of the 6th Int'l Conference