Evaluating efficiency of metro-led urban underground public space: a case study in Shanghai

Abstract

Metro-led urban underground public space (UUPS) are among the most common and important types of underground and public spaces. The need to measure metro-led UUPS performance and improve urban planning and public services has facilitated the development of various evaluation methods. However, the essential performance aspects of efficiency and effectiveness are rarely balanced. Most methods focus on evaluating effectiveness while neglecting the cost incurred. This study proposed two sets of efficiency indicators of cost (input) and effectiveness (output) separately and used data envelopment analysis (DEA) to analyze the relative efficiency of 20 metro-led UUPS in Shanghai, China. The results indicated that the UUPS of People’s Square, Hanzhong Road, and Huamu Road were the most efficient. Whereas, the South Shanghai Railway Station UUPS and other five cases were neither technically efficient nor scale efficient; a waste of space volume was observed in half of the inefficient cases. Through comparisons of the results with previous studies, it was determined that different conclusions could be drawn when considering efficiency. Moreover, the evaluation framework based on the DEA method proposed in study paper can provide a comprehensive and holistic approach to guide metro-led UUPS planning optimization.