Future infrastructure

Infrastructure includes all the services required to make life easier and help society function.  It includes social infrastructure including schools, hospitals, places of worship and places for gathering; green infrastructure including parks and open spaces; transport infrastructure including roads and railways, and utilities infrastructure including power, potable and waste water.

With a changing population, existing infrastructure getting older, and increased pressures from a changing climate it is important we keep up the pace of investment in infrastructure. In addition, new population and economic growth will need to have a full range of supporting infrastructure to support it.

With changing technology, living and working patterns it may be the case that infrastructure becomes easier to provide.

Renewable energy and on-site energy generation may mean that there is less requirement for electricity transmission lines. 5g, 6g enabled digital infrastructure may mean that less fibre is required in the ground. Automated vehicles may mean that less space is required on roads.

How will services be provided in the future?

• What resources will we demand more of? Which may we no longer demand at all?

• How clean will our infrastructure be?

• What new infrastructure might we need? On demand charging and storage of energy could demand new infrastructure on a mass scale?

• Will our networks decentralise?

• Will we pay less for our energy?