Infrastructure resilience to navigate increasingly uncertain and complex conditions in the Anthropocene

Infrastructure are at the center of three trends: accelerating human activities, increasing uncertainty in social, technological, and climatological factors, and increasing complexity of the systems themselves and environments in which they operate. Resilience theory can help infrastructure managers navigate increasing complexity. Engineering framings of resilience will need to evolve beyond robustness to consider adaptation and transformation, and the ability to handle surprise. Agility and flexibility in both physical assets and governance will need to be emphasized, and sensemaking capabilities will need to be reoriented. Transforming infrastructure is necessary to ensuring that core systems keep pace with a changing world.

Automated summary

Infrastructure are facing three main trends: accelerating human activities, increasing uncertainty in social, technological, and climatological factors, and increasing complexity of the systems themselves and environments in which they operate. Resilience theory can help infrastructure managers navigate this increasing complexity, by considering adaptation and transformation. Additionally, agility and flexibility in physical assets and governance, as well as reorienting sensemaking capabilities, are essential in ensuring core systems keep pace with a changing world.