Urban underground space has become the fastest growing area in global engineering construction and commercial operation. The scale and level of China's urban underground engineering have reached considerably advanced, but ensuing security accidents in urban underground spaces have also significantly increased, and the necessary security monitoring and emergency rescue measures are seriously lacking. This paper focuses on the security issues pertaining to terrorism, explosions, and nuclear biological or chemical attacks in urban underground spaces and analyses the challenges faced by infrared imaging technology when implemented in disaster monitoring and emergency search and rescue. The key technologies and applications presented include shortwave infrared imaging, multi-scale infrared imaging preprocessing, adaptive image enhancement, adaptive infrared environment imaging, and disaster location and alarm. This paper discusses the applications of infrared imaging technology in underground space emergencies such as fires. The research presented here can provide references for security legislation and the strategic planning of urban underground space in China.