A New Paradigm for Resilient Urban Infrastructure Planning: Game-Changing Interventions, Tipping Points, and Capacities

Abstract

What infrastructure do Australian cities need over the next century? Planning for, delivering, and maintaining infrastructure that is usually long-lived and expensive in a rapidly changing environment is difficult. Complexity and uncertainties are at play, with potentially serious consequences to be considered. Specifically, current infrastructure-investment risks are not fit for purpose and would fail to meet the rapidly evolving needs of communities and economic activities. This may create lock-in situations that are difficult to adapt to or reverse; they therefore close down opportunities for the transformation needed to reduce systemic risks. In this chapter, we argue that the key to cities’ resilience lies in the people and organisations having capacity, competencies, and governance for systemic interventions based on adaptive learning and decision-making. We outline a method for changing the planning of infrastructure to meet urgent urban challenges, such as climate change, rapid technological change, and pandemics. This is based on a mission-oriented programme of innovation that guides, underpins, and supports inclusive and robust infrastructure decisions. Finally, we introduce principles that can trigger a set of tipping points that can promote necessary shifts in infrastructure planning, policies, and practices that encourage more resilient, sustainable and equitable outcomes.