In consideration of the ongoing transition towards energy supply from renewable sources, the thermal use of the shallow subsurface including heat generation, cooling, and thermal energy storage is increasingly gaining importance. Spatial planning of the subsurface is needed to prevent overexploitation of the shallow geothermal potential and to avoid conflicts with other subsurface usages. To achieve this, the shift from shallow geothermal regulation to management will be essential. However, this step preconditions a thorough (geo)thermal process and system understanding, especially in urban areas. We invite contributions based on simulations as well as laboratory and/or field scale experiments that provide new insights into shallow geothermal processes and systems (including potential thermal, mechanical, and chemical effects on soil and groundwater), large scale case studies, as well as contributions that address novel exploration and monitoring strategies to ensure a sustainable thermal use of the shallow subsurface.