t’s occurring all around us, in nearly
every placewe live.
I
Behind the scenes, smart people are
gathering around tables, on job sites or
via virtual technology to plan what the
infrastructure surrounding us is going
to look like in the next five, 10 or 25
years.
While most of us don’t ponder the
changes until we’re stuck in traffic amid
road construction or pondering
residential choices based on the
amenities of a given municipality, the
work being done is hugely important,
distinctly challenging and typically
uncelebrated – though the changes
made today will positively impact the
way residents live in the next generation
and the ones that follow it.
It’s trying work, says George Elliott,
commissioner of transportation and
public works in Cambridge, Ontario, but
it’s an endeavor he believes all cities
should be intently focused on.
“There is hope,” he said. “Cities have
extremely long lives. They’re going to be
here for hundreds of years. There is hope
that you can establish a city system of
infrastructure that is sustainable and can
be in place for the long term.”
In his area’s case, an ambitious team of
planners have been able in a handful of
years to address a gradually decaying
water and sewer infrastructure and set
58| BusinessWorld |
June-July 2014
