26 May 2020
Young Professionals Panel provides fresh ideas to help infrastructure
The National Infrastructure Commission appointed a Young Professionals Panel in April 2018 to engage younger audiences in shaping the future of the UK’s infrastructure. The Commission has published a series of opinion pieces (here) which set out questions and possible directions toward a paradigm shift in individual and collective decision making where the human and natural world can thrive.
Three-day rail season tickets to support flexible working, designing transport hubs to encourage safe post-pandemic social interaction, and securing better air quality through design are some of the ideas generated, as reported by Infrastructure Intelligence in their article here.
Sir John Armitt, chair of the Commission, said: “Listening carefully to the perspectives of those at earlier stages of their careers is vitally important to any industry, both to challenge outmoded habits and to ensure services are being shaped inclusively to serve the whole of society.
“The YPP has offered valuable insights to the Commission across a range of discussions and their latest contributions provide both inspiration and provocation for the sector. I’m very grateful for them for their work.”
At IMS we consider the shift of thought toward wellbeing over profit to be an interesting development in the infrastructure industry. Considerations such as “opportunities for infrastructure design to combat loneliness” would be unlikely to receive board room attention in years gone by but perhaps these thought pieces are reflective of the changing value of society as Millennials move up through the ranks, and will reshape our primary ambitions for monetary growth.
