Lon-time REVITALIZATION readers probably know that RECONOMICS Institute (publisher of REVITALIZATION) works with Jacobs, the Fortune 500 global engineering giant.
RECONOMICS Institute‘s role usually focuses on strategic process: helping Jacobs deliver projects that produce a bigger revitalization and/or resilience “bang for the buck”. This is often done by effectively integrating the renewal of natural, built and socioeconomic assets in order to boost their client’s return on investment (ROI), while simultaneously making the projects more inclusive and equitable.
In a current series of thought leadership articles, Jacobs, in collaboration with the Global Infrastructure Hub, explores how infrastructure projects can leverage the once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver transformative outcomes at scale.
The ongoing climate crisis, growing inequality and more recently the global pandemic, have put into sharp focus the need to “build back better” – immediately.
Governments have announced extensive infrastructure-as-a-stimulus packages to drive their economic recovery post-COVID-19.
These infrastructure-as-a-stimulus investments are targeting far more than improved service provision and greater productivity and economic growth; they are targeting a range of transformative outcomes for people and the planet.
Research conducted by the Global Infrastructure Hub found infrastructure stimulus announced by G20 countries is targeting outcomes that fall across six core categories: environmental sustainability, inclusivity, resilience, digital and InfraTech, research and development and economic development.
Combined with business-as-usual infrastructure spending, this spending represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver these transformative outcomes at scale.
But delivering on the promise to “build back better” requires a step change in the way we conceptualize and deliver infrastructure projects.
In the past, projects may have addressed one or two transformative outcomes.
Today, executive sponsors and infrastructure program and project teams must embrace as many, if not all, of these transformative outcomes at every investment opportunity.
In the first of a series of three papers, Jacobs explores how infrastructure can deliver transformative outcomes for people and the planet.
It looks at how achieving all the transformative outcomes hinges on whether the collective infrastructure sector leadership can justify solutions capable of meeting all transformative outcomes and inspire infrastructure project teams to challenge themselves to deliver beyond what they have typically done prior.
It aims to help our current and emerging infrastructure leaders be ready and able to lead the charge on achieving each transformative outcome.
Image courtesy of Jacobs.