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Whether 'soft' or 'hard', 'material' or 'digital', 'green' or 'critical', infrastructure is arguably the most defining feature of the organisation, functioning and wellbeing of modern societies
Infrastructure development is not only a question of engineering, but of governance above all. Yet, despite its pervasive nature and crucial societal role, we know little about infrastructure as a concept and what it means to those designing and building it, let alone those living with and through it.
Furthermore, there is a growing concern that the way in which infrastructure projects are negotiated, designed and implemented is at best outdated and at worst non-democratic, sectorial and predominantly output-driven. For example, the National Infrastructure Commission's adopted vision based on the private-sector authored National Needs Assessment', launched last month, emphasises 'an infrastructure fit for an innovative and productive global trading nation'. Setting economic competitiveness as priority raises serious questions about the relevance, value and purpose of such an infrastructure vision for modern societies.
Therefore, this project will elucidate the various socio-technical roles that infrastructure has come to perform in order to enhance our collective capacity of shaping and intervening in infrastructure governance. Drawing together researchers and practioners from various areas and specialisations will allow this project to map the diverse facets of infrastructure, for example as 'enabler', sustainable development, governance, common good and as creative process.
The analytic move of understanding infrastructure as key practices of modern societies will expand our insight into the practical challenges to infrastructure and help identify opportunities for intervention in a wider effort of adaptive governance.
STEaPP contributors
 | Dr Carolin Kaltofen Principal Investigator Research Associate, Science Diplomacy |
 | Dr Ellie Cosgrave Deputy Director of the City Leadership Laboratory |
 | Dr Irina Brass Research Associate |
 | Dr Long Seng To Research Fellow |
 | Dr Tom Dolan Research Associate |
 | Dr Ine Steenmans Research Associate, Foresight and Futures |
 | Dr Carla-Leanne Washbourne Lecturer in Environmental Science and Policy |