Abstract

There has in recent years been an increasing focus in both research and policy on considering infrastructure networks as interdependent systems, rather than as separate interconnected entities. This has resulted from a recognition that the functionality of transport, energy, water, waste, and ICT networks is inextricably linked, with their efficiency, effectiveness and resilience dependent on their connectivity to the other systems with which they interact. The importance of such interdependencies has been reflected in policy making, with the recent establishment of a National Infrastructure Commission by the UK government, and in the development of a range of research projects focusing on network interconnections (in other words, on infrastructure nexus thinking). This session will focus on the geographies of interdependency between transport and other infrastructure networks, examining how nexus thinking can 1) enhance existing approaches to dealing with and exploiting infrastructure interdependencies, in order to realise a more efficient, equitable and sustainable use of transport infrastructure and 2) help understand and address the impacts of interdependencies on society.

Authors

Blainey, S.P., Pant, R., and Thacker, S.