By jointly approaching the challenges we face – such as ongoing urbanization, climate change, energy transition and the introduction of new mobility such as automated and electric vehicles – urban areas can be made more resilient. The subsurface of the city can play a central role in this, for instance by using space made available by a different use of infrastructure for the ecological and functional improvement of the city. In order to combine ecosystem services, climate and urban systems in a single design that accounts for the dynamics of the subsurface, it must be seen as an integral element of spatial planning and design. Based on this idea this exploratory research was done into the effect of ‘soil first’ on three urban typologies. What is the design potential of these typologies, assuming a circular construction of the public space and a healthy soil? The result is a six step approach in which the city can become more healthy is regard to global challenges and respecting the soil as main carrier. @en