Abstract: The development and utilization potential of Urumqi underground space was evaluated using AHP. The research selected 7 districts of Urumqi as evaluation unit. According to the principle of the construction of the evaluation index system, it established the index system for the development potential of underground space in Urumqi from such six perspectives as economy, population, transportation, land resources, municipality and urban location. The weight of each evaluation factor was calculated by using analytic hierarchy process, and each factor score in the different evaluation unit was determined, final core of each evaluation unit was found. According to the evaluation score, the development and utilization potential of 7 districts of Urumqi at four level areas was listed： Shayibak district, Xinshi area and Tianshan district were belonged to the first level; Toutunhe district and Shuimogou district were belonged to the secondary level; Midong District was belonged to the third level; Dabancheng District was belonged to four-level area of development and utilization potential.

Key words: underground space, development and utilization, potential evaluation