The French Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (AFTES)held its 16th International Congress from 6 to 8 September 2021 in Paris. The general theme this year was "The underground, a space of innovations".

Underground spaces are an opportunity to imagine and build the city of tommorrow. The underground space is also at the heart of innovation with the creation of a variety of improvement installations and new activities. In the design and building of structures, new approaches are emerging when it comes to undertaking studies, digital modelling, digging and construction materials, equipment and products. All these topics were explored in conferences held over the three days.

ITA, represented by its First Vice -President Lars Babendererde, was invited to deliver a welcome message at the opening ceremony.

A session on underground space,  aimed at developers and urban planners, was a chance to showcase the main advances of the nationwide Ville10D project, as well as to open onto emblematic projects. ITACUS participated through its co-chair Antonia Cornaro who presented a paper on "A multi-dimensional planning approach (MDPA) - Towards a new rationale to planning and  visualising underground spaces as part of the urban metabolism".