The main goal of this review is to emphasize the emerging role of the scientific community of applied geophysics in supporting actions for urban planning. We analyse the new scenario related to the global urbanization process and its impact on environmental sustainability and resilience to natural disasters of urban areas. A selected list of case-studies concerning the application of geophysical methods for the subsurface exploration in historical cities of Italy and megacities located in Asia and south America are described and discussed. The analysis clearly demonstrates that the geophysical surveys are assuming a great relevance to manage the underground urban environment and to adopt new strategies for the mitigation of geological risks. The sensor synergy strategy, the novel algorithms for the tomographic imaging and the capability to explore the subsoil with a multi-resolution approach are the key of success of the urban geophysics. Finally, the innovative aspects of the CLARA project funded by MIUR for promoting the integration of the remote and ground-based technologies for surface and subsurface imaging in urban areas are presented and discussed.