Infrastructure planning in theory: putting it all together

As we consider how to go about planning infrastructure, the complexity of what it is and how it fits into the world can be daunting. In a more technical sense, we have an extraordinary array of principles, concepts and constraints to consider and balance before adapting our strategy to political priorities. We know that we must do better than merely looking at our infrastructure project as an extension of a single system in isolation or an assembly of assets. Our strategy must draw together the infrastructure requirements, risks, financing, contracting and management aspects in an integrated whole. This is, in a genuine sense, a strategy from which we build the plan. We must, and can, know what to build where, when and how without causing harm, and we must be able to measure our success.