Introduction

Infrastructure is the foundation of civilisation. It enables us to survive, thrive and advance both individually and socially. Roads, railways, navigations and airports connect us with our neighbours, facilitating our travel and exchanging goods and ideas. Utilities directly support our physical health and comfort, from the provision of clean water to the safe removal of foul water and the supply of electricity to keep our lives comfortable, illuminated and sustained. Yet, it is more than just the physical world we inhabit; infrastructure supports the social fabric that permits us to use it effectively, ranging from laws and regulations to money and institutions. In this, infrastructure spans our natural, built and societal frames of reference. Infrastructure enables the services that we depend on in our day-to-day endeavours.