Description

Overview:

Infrastructures for energy, water, transport, information and communications services create the conditions for livability and economic development. They are the backbone of our society. Similar to our arteries and neural systems that sustain our human bodies, most people however take infrastructures for granted. That is, until they break down or service levels go down.

In many countries around the globe infrastructures are ageing. They require substantial investments to meet the challenges of increasing population, urbanization, resource scarcity, congestion, pollution, and so on. Infrastructures are vulnerable to extreme weather events, and therewith to climate change.
Technological innovations, such as new technologies to harvest renewable energy, are one part of the solution. The other part comes from infrastructure restructuring. Market design and regulation, for example, have a high impact on the functioning and performance of infrastructures.

Subject:

Engineering

Level:

Community College / Lower Division, College / Upper Division

Material Type:

Case Study, Diagram/Illustration, Lecture, Reading

Author:

Delft University of Technology

Provider:

Delft University of Technology

Provider Set:

Delft University OpenCourseWare

Date Added:

10/23/2014