Beyond quantity: Decoding the economic performance of underground commercial facilities in two representative Chinese cities

Abstract

While the quantity of underground commercial facilities has been extensively studied for urban development, their economic performance, a critical indicator of sustainability, remains underexplored. This deficiency risks economically unsustainable development and wasted underground space resources. To bridge this gap, this paper developed a novel evaluation framework that leveraged openly accessible social media data (Dazhong Dianping) to assess the economic performance of underground commercial facilities. Using Geodetector and Spearman rank correlation, we analyzed multi-source numerical and categorical spatial data in Shanghai and Zhengzhou to reveal key determinants affecting the economic performance of these facilities. Our findings revealed that economic success was influenced by a more complex and less predictable set of factors than development density alone. Case-specific primary drivers were identified: benchmark land price for Shanghai and GDP for Zhengzhou. Transportation accessibility and commercial vibrancy were also found to be significant in shaping the economic success of underground commercial facilities. These findings offer direct guidance for evidence-based master planning and the sustainable use of urban underground space.