One of the increasing measures of asset performance is around access, and the concept of inclusive infrastructure is gaining momentum around the world. Inclusive infrastructure is where social policies intersect with asset management in real world examples, with the goal of delivering access regardless of age, disability, mobility and wealth.
Principles of inclusive infrastructure, when applied, can help bridge the gap between communities and reduce access to basic services such as water, sanitation, energy, transport and digital connectivity.
Inclusive infrastructure is more than social equity and fairness, but delivers payoffs in terms of greater productivity, sustainability and the more efficient use of physical resources and financing.
A simple example could be a playground built by a local council. Ensuring that it is accessible to children with a wide range of disabilities is not just the right thing to do, but it increases the use of the asset and delivers a higher return on investment.
Consulting group McKinsey says that inclusivity is not just a social imperative, “but also a strategic way to build more resiliency.”
The Global Infrastructure Hub outlines six action areas for inclusive infrastructure in a framework approach which asset managers and policy maker scan refer to.
The action areas are around governance and capacity building, policy and regulation, project planning, private sector participation and affordability.
The online hub contains some case studies which show examples of inclusive infrastructure in action.
In Kenya, the government has been striving to improve water access for people in low income areas for decades but has faced several challenges.
Small service providers have limited capacity, Kenya is challenged for water resources and many people are experiencing sustained poverty.
A $US107 million program, operating through an organisation called the Water Sector Trust Fund, has funded more than 2200 projects which have reached more than five million vulnerable people.
The specific stakeholders targeted by the program have been women and girls, young people, and communities without access to improved water resources.
In Bolivia, more than 440,000 commuters travel the 20 kilometres from the rapidly growing urban centre of El Alta to work in the capital La Paz, and the volume of traffic has pushed the existing infrastructure to the brink of collapse.
Cars, minibuses and taxes often take an hour or more to travel the short distance on mountainous roads.
The response was a two phase US$740 million project to create a network of more than 10 cable car lines, the first public transport system in Bolivia designed for equitable access.
Called the Mi Teleferico, the project is the largest aerial cable car network in the world and is accessible to all, with support and preferential treatment offered to people with disability or mobility challenges.
Specific programs for women and young people have also been developed to promote social inclusion.
In Australia, inclusivity has been recognised by one of the biggest investors in the sector, IFM Investors, which has assets of around $125 billion now spread around the world.
In a recent insight article, IFM notes there is a body of research showing that inclusion and diversity in infrastructure are a “powerful driver of business growth and performance.”
Inclusivity is not only defined by access and equity for the users of infrastructure, but also applies to the development of the projects and investment in the training of employees.
IFM is an investor in the Indiana Toll Road in the US, where one of its principles has been support for the local economy and minority owned businesses.
The toll road allocates a portion of its budget to working with local enterprises, which are certified by the state of Indiana as “minority, women, veteran and disabled owned businesses”, with the aim of establishing a wider expectation of inclusivity.
The toll road has also rolled out sign language training for customer facing employees to better support deaf and hard of hearing customers.
In the UK, water management company Anglian Water – another IFM investment – is acting on religious diversity and inclusion, offering employees the option of swapping Christian religious holidays for religious holidays from their faith.
The company has launched training to help road and footpaths works staff understand the mobility challenges faced by the sight impaired.
In Australia, the Port of Brisbane launched a cadetship program to promote women’s participation in its Marine Operations business unit. Over four years female representation in the Marine Operations business unit increased from 1.9% to more than 10%.
“Actively embracing inclusion and diversity in decisions can contribute to the health of the broader social and economic systems in which infrastructure assets operate,” the IFM article says.
