BRIEFING By Paul Lincoln
Major reports on infrastructure Design principles for national infrastructure
climate people places value DESIGN PRINCIPLES FOR NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE
NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE COMMISSION Design Group
The UK’s first ever Design Principles for National Infrastructure1, developed by an expert Design Group (including Andrew Grant, Founder and Director of Grant Associates and Louise Wyman, Chartered Surveyor and Landscape Architect, Design Lead for the West Midlands Combined Authority), seek to embed four key considerations – climate, people, places and value – into the planning and delivery of projects to construct and renew nationally significant infrastructure:
– Climate – infrastructure must help set the trajectory for the UK to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 or sooner and be capable of adapting to climate change. – People – projects should be human scale, instinctive to use and seek opportunities to improve the quality of life for people who live and work nearby.
– Places – schemes should provide a sense of identity for communities, supporting the natural and built environment and enriching ecosystems. – Value – this should be added beyond the main purpose of the infrastructure, solving problems well and achieving multiple benefits. The Design Group argues that the legacy of infrastructure schemes
will be judged on how they succeed in responding creatively to the needs of climate change, the environment and communities. They are calling for the principles to be adopted in the government’s infrastructure strategy, alongside the National Infrastructure Assessment’s recommendations for all nationally significant projects to have design champions and review panels. The Design Principles for National Infrastructure are the first of their kind and can be applied to all economic infrastructure: digital communications, energy, transport, flood management, water and waste. The document is to be used as a guide by anyone involved in planning, constructing and maintaining national infrastructure.
Change in approach urged for Scotland’s infrastructure The Infrastructure Commission for Scotland2 (ICS) has presented Scottish Government with a 30‑year infrastructure strategy (Key Findings Report – A blueprint for Scotland) with an emphasis on delivering an inclusive, net zero carbon economy. The first publication of its kind in Scotland, the strategy follows a period of extensive engagement with key stakeholders and organisations from across Scotland and beyond. It sets out eight overarching themes and 23 specific recommendations for Scottish Government to consider. The themes are: Phase 1: Key findings report JANUARY 2020
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1. Future infrastructure decisions to be based on delivery of an inclusive net zero carbon economy 2. Increased emphasis on “placebased” infrastructure 3. Maximise, broaden the use of and better maintain existing assets 4. Accelerate the decarbonisation of heat and transport 5. Develop appropriately devolved regulatory and pricing frameworks 6. Escalate and expand access to
digital and technology services 7. Improve and extend public engagement to shape decision making 8. Explore options for long-term and independent infrastructure advice. The global focus on climate change, together with Scottish Government’s own Net Zero Carbon target by 2045, has influenced the work of the ICS in the development of this 30-year strategy. The next stage of the ICS’ 18-month programme will see the Commission provide guidance to Scottish Government on how best to consider the 23 recommendations set out in the strategy.
https://www.nic.org. uk/publications/designprinciples-for-nationalinfrastructure/ 1
https://infrastructure commission.scot/ 2
