3DUnderground Project Maps NYC’s Subterranean Infrastructure

A new digital platform is aimed at helping agencies better understand the city’s underground assets and more effectively plan projects.

1 minute read

November 23, 2025, 5:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Underground train tunnel at Grand Central Station, New York City.

Felix Lipov / Shutterstock

New York City is launching a $10 million 3D digital platform that will map the city’s subterranean infrastructure to better help agencies and utilities work together. 

According to an article in Smart Cities World, “3DUnderground (3DU) will help government agencies and utility companies securely share and access information about what lies below New Yorkers’ feet, such as water and sewer pipes, gas lines, electrical conduits, fiber optic cables, and soil composition.”

City officials say the platform will enhance the city’s ability to respond to emergencies, identify and assess threats, and more effectively plan projects. “The New York City Office of Technology and Innovation will create a comprehensive map of the city’s soil by digitising geotechnical reports already submitted to the New York City Department of Buildings and partnering with Columbia University to estimate what the soil is like in areas without direct data.”

The project is funded by a U.S. Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant for Disaster Recovery and is expected to launch in early 2028.

Thursday, November 20, 2025 in Smart Cities World

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