Concepts and practices for transforming infrastructure from rigid to adaptable

Erica J. Gilrein, Thomaz M. Carvalhaes, Samuel A. Markolf, Mikhail V. Chester, Braden R. Allenby, Margaret Garcia

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

46 Scopus citations

Abstract

Infrastructure are increasingly being recognized as too rigid to quickly adapt to a changing climate and a non-stationary future. This rigidness poses risks to infrastructure service delivery and public welfare. Adaptivity in infrastructure is critical for managing uncertainties to continue providing services, yet little is known about how infrastructure can be made more agile and flexible for improved adaptive capacity. A literature review identified approximately fifty examples of novel infrastructure and technologies which support adaptivity through one or more of ten theoretical characteristics of adaptive infrastructure. From these examples, several infrastructure forms and possible strategies for adaptivity emerged, including smart technologies, combined centralized/decentralized organizational structures, and renewable electricity generation. With institutional and cultural support, such novel structures and systems have the potential to transform infrastructure provision and management.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)213-234
Number of pages22
JournalSustainable and Resilient Infrastructure
Volume6
Issue number3-4
DOIs
StatePublished - 2021

Funding

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation’s Urban Resilience to Extreme Events Sustainability Research Network (grant 1444750). This work was supported by the National Science Foundation [1444750]. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation?s Urban Resilience to Extreme Events Sustainability Research Network (grant 1444750).

Keywords

  • Infrastructure
  • adaptation
  • agile
  • flexible
  • resilience
  • smart systems

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