Dynamic Infrastructure Systems: advancing sustainable urbanization and climate change

Developing and maintaining infrastructure (e.g., roads, airports, water supply, communication networks, power plants, or hospitals) is a priority in a rapidly changing world. However, the gap between infrastructure needs and investments will continue to increase in the coming years, mainly impacting mid- and low-income countries. This problem is aggravated by the fact that traditional long-term planning approaches often lead to under- or over-designing infrastructure with the corresponding investment risks and environmental impacts. This article introduces the “Dynamic Infrastructure Systems” (DIS) concept as a new way to understand infrastructure design and management to support sustainable continuous growth, maintenance, and adaptation. In scenarios of deep uncertainty, infrastructure can best be designed and managed by creating a strategic vision of the future, committing to short-term actions, and establishing a flexible management policy to guide future decisions. This article is motivated by the urgent need to re-think how a key sector is managed and how to make it a positive contributor to sustainability. After the factual and conceptual discussion of the main principles behind DIS, we present a framework for its implementation in practice and discuss barriers and challenges to this vision.