Infrastructures and Transformation: Between Path Dependency and Opening-Up for Experimental Change

Springer eBooks, pp. 93–117

Abstract

Abstract Infrastructure development faces multiple challenges in the present. These are generated by digitalization, ecological orientation, transformation, and the emergence of a multipolar de-colonial world order. Under these conditions, infrastructure development faces the problem that, although designed for stability and continuity, it requires a new flexibility. To address these issues more precisely, this article first proposes a heuristic for studying infrastructures in times of transformation and tests it with two examples. In it, it is shown that the qualification of future infrastructure development lies in the characteristics of scalability, inclusivity, and updateability.

Authors 8

1. Stefan Böschen corresponding Aachen Human Technology Center

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Human Technology Center, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

2. Sarah Hermens Aachen Chair of Urban Design Institute for Urban Design and European Urbanism

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Chair of Urban Design and Institute for Urban Design and European Urbanism, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

3. Eva-Maria Jakobs Aachen HCI Center

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   HCI Center, Text Linguistics and Technical Communication Teaching and Research Area, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

4. Frank Lohrberg Aachen Institute of Landscape Architecture

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Landscape Architecture, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

5. Reinhard Madlener Aachen Institute for Future Energy Consumer Needs and Behavior

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Future Energy Consumer Needs and Behavior (FCN), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

6. Susanne Mütze‐Niewöhner Aachen Institute of Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

7. Christa Reicher Aachen Chair of Urban Design Institute for Urban Design and European Urbanism

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Chair of Urban Design and Institute for Urban Design and European Urbanism, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

8. Yannick Schöpper Aachen Human Technology Center

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Human Technology Center, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany