Building a subway or metro system is no easy feat. It can involve huge distances tunneling beneath intricate infrastructure — often below some of the world’s most expensive real estate. High costs of tunneling and risks of cost over-runs abound.

Yet, surprisingly, it’s often not the most complex or riskiest aspect of metro projects. Instead, systems and their integration have increasingly become some of the most complicated aspects of delivering urban railways.

Delivering a metro is always greater than the sum of its parts. It requires massive coordination across construction, rail systems (signalling, communications), station systems, operations and maintenance systems, all adhering to safety, sustainability, building, and environmental standards.

Moreover, the local community and local authorities demand seamless integration and community advantages spanning multiple decades. ��In summary, it’s the effective intersection of all the systems and elements that determine a true project’s cost and timeline.

As the complexity and cost of metros and, indeed, nearly all rail megaprojects continue to increase, a systems approach has become more critical than ever. By considering a whole rail project and its many relationships — rather than just its component parts — systems thinking enables more cost-effective, timely and sustainable delivery. But what does it take to implement?

Starting with relationships

Successful infrastructure projects depend on successful relationships. With dozens of contractors (and even more subcontractors) operating on behalf of the infrastructure owner and operator, it’s essential for these many parties to create a culture of collaboration.

But while effective collaboration arises from a project’s culture, it’s also a consequence of something far more fundamental: contract structures. ��Traditional contract models, based on tried and trusted norms for building generic infrastructure, slice and dice scope into manageable construction chunks.�� Fixed price Design and Build contracts and their variants can work quite well for most infrastructure, but these contracts tend to create siloed thinking around just the part of the whole being delivered.

To deliver an entire railway, however, a much stronger culture of collaboration and delivering “the whole” is needed.�� The intelligent consolidation of contracts among partners is essential to strong collaboration, while keeping contact and communication streamlined for a safe, effective delivery. ��And yet, it’s still common to see contracting arrangements that silo responsibilities, incorrectly apportion risk, and overlook the systems nature of a rail project.

Such a siloed approach has become unworkable: contracting structures — and the collaboration they foster — have never been more important.

On Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel Project (MTP), for instance, �����Ƶ’s teams are helping accomplish two objectives at once: delivering a brand-new metro rail tunnel through the city centre while integrating that tunnel into brownfield metropolitan rail routes. While the Metro Tunnel will be state of the art, the railways that feed into it date back to the 19th century.

Despite the MTP’s integration demands, its — so successful that it’s a year ahead of schedule. A key enabler for success has been the systems-focused, alliancing contract model, used by our teams with our project partners and client — facilitating integration of the MTP’s many components for rapid delivery.

An alliancing model isn’t the only way to support strong contract structures. Other Progressive Delivery Models, including an Integration Delivery Partner approach and Progressive Design-Build can prove just as effective — chiefly because they embed systems perspectives and cross-team collaboration into the heart of the project.

Digital integration

While the nature and scale of new transit projects have necessitated a systems approach to contracting structures and collaborative mechanisms, technology has only accelerated this trend.

The introduction of automated transit services and digital signaling systems such as communications-based train control (CBTC) has increasingly digitized transit — even as considerable portions of existing signaling and communications infrastructure remain ‘analog.’

This poses a fundamental systems integration problem. While most metros run CBTC and are segregated from the rest of the rail network, it is not always the case, for example London’s Crossrail and Metro Tunnel Melbourne. As transit operators mesh state-of-the-art CBTC with the century-old, fixed block signaling, what once required purely steel and concrete infrastructure now involves software-centric products to be safely integrated and deployed in a robust environment where they must cope with the huge demands of on-time performance, at all times.

During the delivery phase of a railway, measuring progress on software integration can pose challenges — and generate considerable cost risks — as projects are frequently surprised to find themselves spending far longer on systems integration than they thought they’d need to.

As complex inter-operable rail systems undergo technological advances, user experience demands have also increased.

Today, riders expect ever-greater access to transit data for smartphone applications to navigate rail networks and plan trips.�� Riders also want to know where to stand on the platform to get an uncrowded carriage. As a result, data management of live feeds during operation as well as software integration during project delivery have now fallen within the domain of transit delivery.

Looking ahead, as project stakeholders embrace new technologies such as AI, we must remember that new technologies and the systems integration challenges they bring mustn’t remain siloed.

Outcome Oriented Systems Thinking

Perhaps the most dramatic — and long overdue — shift in transit delivery relates to environmental, sustainability and social benefits, where systems approaches can prove critical.

With U.S. infrastructure funding like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act increasingly tied to sustainability, resiliency and social value outcomes, transit projects must deliver far more than just transportation. Community and environmental benefits now directly determine a project’s selection — changing the nature of project delivery.

Transit, by its nature, provides community and societal benefits by providing access through enhanced mobility. As such a new array of equity objectives, such the in the U.S., now factor social outcomes into project selection. The participation of minority- and women-owned enterprises, local employment opportunities, workforce development and social infrastructure today stand alongside technical innovation when weighing project excellence. As a result, whole communities now fall within a project’s scope, presenting project teams with even broader systems thinking aspects to manage.

Another example of systems thinking is Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG). For decades, designers and builders have focused on minimizing construction impacts on the local environment. But today, they must also minimize climate impacts by reducing emissions and carbon footprint via innovations in low-carbon materials and deliver net biodiversity gains. This has required teams to investigate supply chains and lifecycle impacts, vastly extending a project’s system.

To understand what such ESG outcomes look like in action, we can again turn to Metro Tunnel Melbourne.

In partnership with the client and alliance partners, we helped reduce carbon across the project thanks to several innovations. We cut the emissions from concrete by around 40% through a reduction in Portland cement; saved 988 tCO2-e of embodied emissions through smart design and sustainable materials; and cut water usage by 27% by optimizing dust suppression, reusing water for construction activities, and installing rainwater tanks and sediment ponds.

Social considerations also played a central role in the project. The team actively engaged the community for input on urban design as well as enhancing local cultural, historical and social heritage. The results of this engagement have led to the prioritization of active travel options and f0r public safety measures to be incorporated.

These achievements speak not just to growing interest in driving positive local outcomes on megaprojects — but to the new array of skills needed to simultaneously innovate across both infrastructural, societal and environmental systems.

From part to whole

Today’s urban rail projects have become increasingly holistic: What was once a collection of component parts has become a complex physical, social and environmental system. Delivery teams therefore must solve more technical integration challenges, incorporate digital advances, and deliver a wide array of equity and sustainability benefits.

As we meet this challenge with our clients and partners, our approach is to integrate a systems thinking, outcome oriented mindset from the outset with the aim of delivering positive impacts from day one. With a focus on foresight, agility and predictability, our teams have the scale and expertise to deliver on each key systems integration challenge — from collaboration and digital transformation to sustainability and social value.

Through our partnerships with clients, we’ve witnessed — and shaped — the rise of this new era in infrastructure delivery. It’s one in which a tunnel is no longer the paramount focus of a subway or metro project. Instead, it’s people, partners, and the planet, that must take equal priority.

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Given the speed with which technology and data legislation can advance and the plethora of off-the-shelf software that promises to revolutionise projects today, it’s no surprise that managers can struggle when choosing the most effective way to capture, store and visualise their data. ��

That’s why with a better understanding of the process and the efficiencies that data empowerment can bring, there are exponential benefits to be gained.����

Here we share five effective uses of data analytics:��

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1/ Making data more accessible��

For data specialists, interpreting vast quantities of data from tables and graphs is second nature. But for others – including project stakeholders – the information might not be so straightforward. This is where business intelligence (BI) tools for data visualisation can help.����

When used effectively, BI visualisation allows your project reporting to be communicated in a clear, digestible format. As well as making data more accessible, these tools can improve collaboration between teams by providing a more integrated workspace – with bespoke dashboards for each stakeholder group or review session.����

2/ Providing a single source of truth��

As a project manager, the overall success of the project will ultimately fall on your shoulders.����

Effective use of data analytics principles alongside your regular reporting can lead to a greater sense of control and improved accountability across the project team.����

By utilising a single reporting dashboard suite, this removes the occurrence of rogue files saved to desktop, enables better protection via cloud storage, and ensures that data access is universal across the project.��

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3/ Adopting trend analytics to gain key insights��

One of the most accessible data analytics principles to apply to project data is trend analytics. This is a strategy used to forecast future outcomes based on historical data.��

Besides helping to identify positive outcomes, trend analytics can allow project managers to address issues before they escalate.����

Furthermore, custom analytics within a digital report can be configured to automatically refresh each of these key metrics with each new data refresh – instantly generating a headline view of key performance indicators.����

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4/ Integrating data into a unified platform��

With data often stored across numerous databases, software packages, and legacy company servers, reporting can often mean hours of copying, pasting, and formatting of slide packs.��

BI software such as Microsoft Power BI or Tableau allow the user to load and transform data from a seemingly endless list of sources databases such as Azure.��

Combined with a robust data model, this can allow comparison and analytics of datasets that would typically present a challenge.����

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5/ Early engagement means early results����

The main challenge project managers face is trying making results happen quickly, especially if we are coming into a programme project in a troubleshooting role.����

Once a project is underway, it can be challenging to devote time to adjusting processes and practices. Engaging a data specialist early and defining project-specific analytics outputs will allow for faster and more effective implementation of data-driven solutions. Stakeholders can expect more informed decision-making, increased efficiency, and better team integration from the outset – leading to improved outcomes and successful delivery.

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With the removal of a single word, the Procurement Act 2023 introduced a major change to tender evaluations that will affect future procurement across the board.

Rather than seeking the “most economically advantageous tender”, as in the past, contracting authorities must now evaluate for the ‘most advantageous tender’.

This small language shift has big consequences. It means price is no longer the determining factor; instead, the best bids are those that deliver a holistic solution for the people, communities and economies they are intended to serve.

Here are our top tips on how procurers can collaborate with professional services providers to make social value work as a guiding principle, and a key legacy of our work together.

1/ Understand how the service or goods you are buying can bring embedded and added social value

Procurement is an opportunity to understand the key skills of the organisations you are buying from, and to focus on these for maximised outcomes.

The goal is to best use your suppliers’ core abilities for your project’s social value aims. For example, if you are procuring design services, how can they use or share their design skillset for added value outcomes?

Consider the service or goods you are procuring and ask: “how can this help achieve our social value objectives?” This might include anything from focusing on increasing green skills, biodiversity net gain (BNG), to addressing local homelessness. Whilst the local need will vary, linking social value to the project delivery will result in a more strategic, targeted and embedded approach.

The business type, the makeup of a bidder’s workforce, geographical location and specific skill sets should all be assessed through specific questions. Knowing what social impacts are important to a business helps build a clear, collaborative relationship from the outset and makes it easier to co-create a social value legacy that is meaningful and sustainable.

Once opportunities to add social value are identified, consider their impact throughout the project lifecycle and think how these resources – together with the strengths of other stakeholders – can be combined to increase impact. How can contractors, suppliers and consultants deploy their individual skillsets and attributes in collaboration together?

2/ When designing outcomes, researching, understanding and collaborating within communities is key

There is a huge opportunity for procurement activity to address specific local challenges, so don’t miss out. Identify your local needs and leverage your spending to see these issues addressed.

But how exactly is this done in practice?

Understand your local community through engagement, local needs analysis or social research. When procuring, rather than asking broad, generic questions such as “what social value will you deliver on this contract?”, it can be more effective to use your local analysis to identify the issues you want tackled. Link to specific local plans, or even local council social value policies or themes. This results in higher quality social value submissions, and activity that is aligned with – and supports – local priorities.

Even procurement of large frameworks that cover a broad region or area can still allow flexibility of approach, and provide localised strategies within different communities that contributes to a shared overall objective and legacy.

The goal is to co-design social value activity with the community a project is based in, so more accurate, targeted interventions and opportunities can be identified or made. Social value should be delivered with, not imposed on communities. This also requires research, conversations and collaboration with local people and organisations.

Thinking about a project’s legacy – what change it will create within its community, and what it will be remembered for – from the outset is key, so that it can be embedded throughout the project lifecycle.

3/ Seek professional services partners that are collaborators – both with the procurer and the wider supply chain – to create a lasting legacy

Another consequence of not thinking holistically is procurement that does not take a whole-life approach, or operates in silos. Collaborating on social value makes it easier to embed it across all stages of the project lifecycle – from the business case stage, to design, procurement, construction, asset lifecycle and beyond. This is a clear win for any procuring authority, so seek suppliers that take a similar long-term, collaborative view.

Provision of long-term benefit and creating a legacy is how we advise considering built environment and professional services’ social value contributions. This could look like targeted, sustained activity that forges pathways from local schools into training and professional qualifications, with the long-term goal of creating a more diverse industry. It can look like seeking local professionals with lived experience of the communities they’re designing for. And it can also look like being aware of the people who built the programs and technology we are using to design projects – and seeking to understand if this introduces any assumptions or biases into the design.

4/ When procuring, focus on outcome quality, rather than quantity

Procurement which is only quantitative or monetised runs the risk of driving the wrong behaviours. An example of an unhelpful behaviour is suppliers committing to high monetary value activity, that has no correlation to local needs, to achieve a higher monetary score. These behaviours mean the opportunity for meaningful outcomes can be lost.

Whilst purely quantitative procurement evaluation is rare, scoring criteria can often set expectations or provide targets that organisations aim for. Notably, the Social Value Model is scored on quality of outcome rather than quantity, and procuring organisations should make clear how responses will be scored to provide clarity and confidence to bidders. Ensuring suppliers understand the issues, and have the strategy and resources needed to deliver on their plans, is more important than evaluating them on how many outcomes are offered, with potentially little evidence of their ability to deliver provided.

5/ Ensure social value in procurement is then carried through into project delivery – rather than stopping once the project goes live

Although the government’s Social Value Model provides an effective guide through the procurement process, we must ensure the commitments and activity do not end here, and are carried through into project delivery. Buyers and suppliers both need to make sure they have the mechanism to take a social value submission, and to embed it into their contract management for ongoing delivery, monitoring and reporting.

It is important buyers and professional services understand what they can and cannot do, so that unrealistic commitments or data reporting expectations don’t create issues once project delivery starts.

6/ Use empirical data when reporting to evaluate social impact accurately

Given that quality is such a core principle of effective social value, delivery and impact is not always simple to measure.

Numerical, easy-to-quantify data is of course very useful. For example, at the early procurement stages, data and statistics can be used to identify where the areas or communities are that require support, and what they need.

Later on in the project lifecycle, there are social value measurement frameworks that can provide a quantitative, monetised measurement of the social value created. This quantification is important and a useful approach as it supports value for money analysis, decision-making and communication.

However, measuring social value over the lifetime of a scheme also requires qualitative input. The impact on communities and individuals is not always obvious or direct, and it can take time to materialise. Empirical data is required, alongside nuanced, considered reporting on the non-numerical impacts of delivering social value.

Without empirical data, there is a danger of losing sight of the impact or change in people’s lives through our social value activity, and therefore the ‘story’ of what has happened. This is a critical part of what we do, and why. Whenever procuring organisations report the impact of their activities, it should link back to that original local need or challenge. Consider whether this need has this been addressed, and how that change can be demonstrated. This creates clear, compelling evidence that positive social value outcomes have been created.

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Here, social value experts Lori Alexa-Smith and Kieran Ronnie explain the common demands placed on professional services when delivering social value, how we address them, and how procurers can leverage professional services’ diverse skillsets to maximise social value results.

Social value, done well, can transform communities, generating significant, long-term societal and economic legacies. Yet different sub-sectors, and indeed different companies within the infrastructure sector deliver social value effectively in different ways. We need to recognise where we are best suited to deliver social outcomes.����

For example, contractors are often best placed to provide social value through on-site focused measures, such as providing local employment and significant local and SME spend. ��

In contrast, the professional services’ operating model — of regional office teams, working across numerous frameworks and clients — means we need to think differently.����

Within professional services we generally don’t recruit people into single projects, but instead recruit into teams working across projects and sometimes sectors, providing our time and knowledge rather than physical resources. It is absolutely possible to deliver tangible, measurable social value through this structure — the key is to identify and play to our strengths. ��

Deploying corporate scale to address localised challenges

We can use our corporate initiatives, expertise and scale to support equitable, people-centric project delivery within a local context. For example, as a professional services firm, one of our core offerings is our technical expertise — which we can provide to community and third sector organisations which may not have the in-house knowledge or funds to access.����

Using this approach of matching professional services abilities to a local need or challenge, our client Network Rail presented an opportunity for us to provide pro bono landscaping services for Kentish Town City Farm, which is the oldest city farm in the UK and a significant community facility in North London.����

Our landscape architect professionals developed a concept design for the re-provision of a new horse arena and viewing area, which will be used extensively by the community, including various disabled access groups, and increase biodiversity through the introduction of local wildflowers which will enable local children to enjoy previously inaccessible land.

In addition to this, we have also developed a wider masterplan to highlight future opportunities for the farm. Following this work, we are now providing pro bono building surveying services to conduct a condition survey of all the buildings on the site to enable the farm to develop a planned maintenance programme.����

Professional services must identify and enable long-term solutions����

For professional services, providing impactful social value is about identifying core business competencies and skills, and sharing these with communities in a long-term, sustainable way, aligning this social value approach to the overall organisational culture and strategy.����

This delivers outcomes and builds capacity for the projects, clients and sectors that professional service providers operate in, and addresses the collective challenges we all face — such as developing the skills we need, increasing representation or diversifying supply chain.����

For example, the UK is facing a green skills gap. We work with social enterprise The Land Collective to deliver our ESG Launchpad to young people from a diverse range of backgrounds.����

This programme includes technical workshops on ESG and measurement and reporting, employability support with our early careers team, and presenting to our senior leadership in our Head Office.����

We’re sharing our ESG knowledge and expertise to address a known challenge for us and our sector, with solutions that create long-term opportunities in young people’s lives.����

With an abundance of social value metrics, knowing how to accurately track and report outcomes can be difficult.��

While there are several different measurement frameworks for social value, there isn’t one accepted, standardised benchmark for doing good work. This can create some confusion in the market, but with informed application, it need not be a barrier to effective delivery.����

Given that each company and sector will offer something different, the fact that we have different and bespoke frameworks that allow us to measure different things could turn out to be a net positive. We just need to understand and be clear about what we are measuring, and how this measurement will be used.����

Recognising the value of public procurement

We are positive about the future of delivering social outcomes in our industry. The commitment is there — but the methods to achieve it are in some cases yet to be fully implemented or understood.����

In a challenging, constrained economic environment, leveraging professional services to build social value is about recognising what this section of the industry does best. We can identify the unique tools, insights and capabilities a professional service provider can offer — and maximise them.��

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The emergence of federal funding opportunities that prioritize decarbonization and EV adoption, such as , has created an unprecedented opportunity for cities to incorporate decarbonization into their master plans. For this to happen effectively, cities should prioritize early coordination with partners, integrate data-driven approaches, ensure approaches account for equity, and leverage available funding mechanisms.

Incorporate decarbonization goals

Master planning has long been used to guide a community’s growth, focusing on ways to ensure that how communities use and benefit from spaces is at the forefront of design and planning. Master planners have often focused on clear goals such as diversity, inclusive design, attracting economic investment, promoting desired change, and enhancing livability.��In terms of decarbonization planning, this can mean revisiting how people interact with infrastructure and developing goals accordingly. ��

For example, rather than focusing solely on how many vehicles can be transitioned from internal combustion engines (ICE) to electric, a plan should consider how to shift patterns of movement to not only reduce emissions but also to change modes of travel and reduce overall vehicle miles traveled. Resulting planning efforts should include goals around convenient journeys, multi-modal transportation options, making spaces more livable, and encouraging alternative modes of transportation such as public transit or cycling.����

Prioritize coordination

Achieving decarbonization goals requires early coordination between different city departments and broader stakeholders. In an example of broad regional collaboration, �����Ƶ worked with San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) and a core team of broader regional stakeholders, including the City of San Diego, the County of San Diego, the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District, and the San Diego Association of Governments on their Accelerate 2 Zero (A2Z) Strategy, a regional collaborative aimed at reducing air pollution and reducing greenhouse gas emissions through zero-emission transportation initiatives. The initiative includes a focus on making charging infrastructure accessible for fleets, schools, workplaces, and community members through a region-wide set of strategies that address areas of equity and increasing adoption.

The resulting Strategy demonstrates how collaboration introduces opportunities to support streamlining processes, such as zoning and permitting, often associated with lengthy implementation timeframes.

Utilize data and optimization modeling

Data and optimization should also shape effective decarbonization master planning to support measurable and trackable impact. In the United Kingdom (UK), the siting of charging hubs is driven by a combination of forecast demand on the strategic road network, proximity to power grid connections with capacity, and locations of truck and service rest stops. This requires coordination between National Highways, National Grid, local authorities, and other key stakeholders, further reinforcing the need for collaborative approaches to decarbonization planning.

The �����Ƶ team in the UK has applied this best practice by conducting extensive survey work around truck stops and facilities to improve understanding of drivers’ behavior, resulting in more predictive planning based on expected demand of where vehicles will be and ultimately linking to the power grid network capacity. Moreover, it is crucial in cities and urban areas to identify the optimum locations requiring the least amount of additional charging infrastructure, but which would also be efficient in terms of the vehicles using that infrastructure.

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Incorporate equity into investment approaches

Incorporating equity into decarbonization approaches should include opportunities for creating training and learning programs – representing a meaningful opportunity to support local economic development and empower the next-generation workforce with ‘green jobs.’ Estimates have shown that an investment of US$188.4 billion in green infrastructure spread equally over the next five years could generate US$265.6 billion in economic activity and create close to 1.9 million jobs. It is worth noting that the ‘green economy’ has seen its most significant jump in urban centers, providing communities with diverse, career-level employment options, with particular emphasis on the underemployed and unemployed.

To measure the impacts of transportation decarbonization on equity within communities, �����Ƶ is supporting the City of Sacramento’s Department of Public Works, an award recipient of the California Energy Commission’s (CEC) Blueprint Grant. The work includes developing key metrics with City departments that track equity impacts and align them with e-mobility pilots that the city is launching. The metrics and corresponding data are included in a digital dashboard to track and measure progress toward goals.

Leverage financial opportunities to support implementation

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), signed into law in November 2021, allocated US$7.5 billion as part of the National EV Infrastructure (NEVI) Program to build a nationwide charging network. The funding has initially focused on installing fast chargers along the interstate highway system, which would help mitigate battery range fears and enable long-distance travel, but also has funding for community-based chargers. The legislation also included large investments to upgrade the nation’s power grid and to expand domestic battery production and recycling capacity.

Cities can apply for and leverage these federal funds to improve charging infrastructure within their communities as part of a comprehensive EV Master Plan. Aside from NEVI, IIJA also expanded other decarbonization programs, such as the Low or No-Emission Grant Program for transit agencies, to accelerate the advancement of zero- or low-emission vehicles and associated facilities. �����Ƶ has supported various agencies in the US to apply for and be awarded these grants.

State government policies also offer incentives, such as rebates, to encourage EV ownership by helping offset the high upfront costs of EVs. Several states have also implemented a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) program, which requires auto manufacturers to sell a set quota of battery-electric or plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles. In the UK, the Government has amended the deadline for phasing out the sale of ICE-only cars and vans to 2035, with only ZEVs on sale from that date onwards. This is being supported by funding for delivering charging points and providing more than £250 million in funding for bus infrastructure via the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme.

There is a considerable focus on funding from the federal government trickling down to the states to local governments, and most of these policies are tied in with supporting disadvantaged communities and other vulnerable populations. Most government agencies prioritize shaping how these funds will be deployed to serve their communities rather than owning or operating fueling stations. These funding sources are created to accelerate private industry participation and deployment.

A brighter future in the making

Through the right master planning lens, decarbonized transportation represents an opportunity for a meaningful transition to healthier communities. Prioritizing transportation decarbonization with equal opportunity for all can act as a catalyst to improve overall master plans, develop clear pathways to decarbonization, and enhance community livability equitably.��

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In this article, we delve into where we can learn from global experience and why a programme management approach will help achieve the nation’s vision.

Understanding New Zealand’s water challenge

At the core of New Zealand’s water reform is providing safe, high-quality drinking water to the entire population. In 2020, 40,000 New Zealanders had to boil their tap water to make it drinkable, and every year, 35,000 New Zealanders get sick from water that doesn’t meet international standards for clean drinking water¹.

Two key challenges in achieving this are affordability for customers and how we approach consistent charging while delivering expensive, and large-scale water infrastructure. This goes hand in hand with defining and progressively improving what those customer service standards will look like.

To add complexity, recent climate events across New Zealand have also highlighted the need for assets designed to be resilient to severe climate events.

Programme management: a longer-term vision

New Zealand faces a significant challenge to increase capital investment from around $1.5 billion dollars a year to between NZD$4 and $6 billion to maintain or improve current service levels. Such investment and the move to consolidate assets into ten entities creates an opportunity to take a programmatic, longer-term perspective approach to delivery.

Programme management involves overseeing related projects to enhance overall performance. It considers an outcome-driven investment approach, seeking opportunities for knowledge sharing, applying innovation at scale, removing carbon from the asset lifecycle, improving data integrity and performance transparency, and building capability.

Driven by a longer-term approach, programme management for capital investment provides more stability and far-reaching benefits across the wider industry and supply chain. Ultimately, integrated programme management will enable the country to ‘do more with less’ and meet the need for customer value embedded within the reforms.

Strengthening the supply chain

With a long-term focus, programme management for capital delivery offers greater stability and benefits for the wider industry and supply chain. By fostering trusting long-term relationships with the extended supply chain, we ensure a steady pipeline of work and encourage investment and innovation within their businesses. This stability over time helps strengthen the industry’s resource base, capability, and capacity. A programme management approach can also attract new talent to the industry, providing opportunities for growth and development. A longer-term view means programmes can embed meaningful initiatives to improve social outcomes, such as diversity programmes, and internships and encourage spend in local businesses.

Cultivating innovation

The water industry must undertake a cultural transformation to deliver the vast infrastructure investment required for the water reforms. Programme management prioritises an outcome-driven approach across many projects and cultivates a culture of innovation. It encourages us to think differently about possibilities and innovative ways to do more with less money.

We need to consider one of the key pillars of the reforms: affordability. To deliver the infrastructure needed at such a scale is one challenge, and to do so affordably is another. Innovation will be key to finding efficiencies across the programme and affordably delivering projects and improvements for the population. After all, project overspending will ultimately be borne by the customer.

Knowledge sharing

Knowledge sharing across infrastructure projects helps unlock efficiencies across the programme by leveraging lessons learned and creating consistent data sets across projects.

A programme management approach, which encourages collaboration and knowledge-sharing, safeguards against repeating past mistakes and enhances the decision-making process with improved data integrity, allowing us to assess projects based on high-quality data sets. It also facilitates skills transfer across industry partners and Government organisations.

A path walked before: Scottish Water

In 2002, Scotland, like New Zealand, faced decades of underinvestment in infrastructure and unprecedented levels of capital investment to bring services up to the required standard. There were three main drivers for investment:

1) Renewals programme to improve service levels.

2) Quality improvements to meet new international standards.

3) Enabling growth for developers.

Previous entities before Scottish Water did not have the capacity and capability to deliver a programme with a capital value of around GBP£2 billion. They recognised that traditional delivery arrangements were no longer fit for purpose to deliver a large capital programme.

Instead, Scottish Water formed a new programme-based delivery partnership that increased the capability of Scottish Water by bringing partners in to help lead the capital programme and provide the industry capability to deliver a programme of that scale. Over time, the partnership increased Scottish Water’s capability, and they recruited leaders from diverse industries to embed the necessary skills, capability, and culture required for delivering large, complex capital programmes.

Working on this programme for eight years brought career-defining lessons about part partnering and how strong and trusting relationships within the partnering ecosystem help navigate a tremendously challenging reform.

By taking a broader programme management approach and focusing on collaboration, Scotland achieved its reform goals, setting the foundation for Scottish Water to become the internationally respected water company it is today.

has over 30 years of experience in major project and programme leadership in Europe, South America, and Asia Pacific. His experience spans major reform programmes at leading organisations such as Scottish Water, South Australian Water, and Yarra Valley Water.

Alan has provided leadership and strategic advice across six asset investment transformations, where he helped clients develop effective operating models, and build deeper integration and effectiveness across the asset delivery cycle.

¹https://www.lgnz.co.nz/reforms/three-waters/

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The concept of 15-minute city has gripped public and political debate with opinions ranging from the simple and compelling views that locating most essential services and amenities within walking or cycling distance from our homes supports the shaping of sustainable communities, to the more extreme view that the concept infringes personal liberty.��

Despite the strength of the concept, there isn’t yet a real-life example of a 15-minute city that has been built. Instead, the concept’s application in recent years has been mainly associated with the construction of cycling lanes, the planning longer-term low-traffic arrangements or sometimes with adding a bit more amenity in local neighbourhoods. So, with few meaningful reference points, the concept is highly malleable by media. If it is to be supported, it matters that the concept is used appropriately, maximising its full potential and not just focus on singular, mostly traffic-related applications.��

As planners, to keep support for the concept, we need to ensure that our profession is aligned on the wider benefits of a 15-minute city and what it might look like, so that we can help reframe the narrative. ��

It’s about balancing the mobility network, not a battle against the car

Cities have an obligation to reduce transport emissions. It’s a complex task and reducing car use can only be achieved meaningfully when other low carbon, and as attractive, means of transport are provided.����

People have the right to use a car, particularly in places where there are no relevant alternatives. The main question is when do we use the car, and what for? Better planning of local neighbourhoods will create choice, with more attractive, healthier, and safer options to move around. The car (hopefully a zero emission one, or a shared one) can then be used when needed but not as first choice.��

The challenge is transition, as people are asked to change their behaviours and adapt to a new normal which impacts their daily routines. Whilst new developments such as King’s Cross, for example, prioritise walking and embed low traffic principles very successfully, residents and businesses that choose to locate there mostly buy into this from day one.����

So, what can we learn from great places like King’s Cross? I believe its success is not just because of how well it has been planned but also because of the quality of place delivered (as well as how it is maintained and ran). Quality delivery is key to stimulating behavioural change.����

Create and communicate the ripple effects of infrastructure

Cities must ensure that they can maximise the value of the investment in infrastructure, to create truly sustainable places. The 15-minute city concept can bring more benefits to local communities from infrastructure development, for example using the investment to spur regeneration around stations. Designing and delivering integrated developments around transport nodes helps maximise the value of the investment in infrastructure, delivering wider services than transport, such as housing and other mix of uses, within walking distance of the station – there are some great examples of this, particularly across Asia, such as West Kowloon Station in Hong Kong.����

Looking beyond transport, larger developments present opportunities to rethink green and blue infrastructure including better and greener streets, a more attractive network of public open spaces and parks including spaces in buildings such as sky gardens and green facades, delivering comfort, microclimate protection, biodiversity, and other sustainability and place making benefits. ��

Stratford and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London is a great example where planners��leveraged the value of the park and concentrating high-density development around transport nodes, shaped a range of places that are highly walkable, vibrant and safe for local communities, workers and visitors.��

If embraced by local communities and when making economic sense, integrated sustainable infrastructure can become one of the most positive catalysts for shaping the future of our cities.��

Settling the challenge of business district vs suburb

One of the challenges about the 15-minute city concept is the negative impact its local focus – and supporting more working from home – might have on central business districts (CBD) which thrive on an ecosystem of people coming in to work by public transport, going out for lunch, and socialising in the evening. ��

However, this isn’t the case of one against the other. Good cities are planned as a holistic network, where central urban areas and suburban neighbourhoods complement each other.����

In Sydney, Australia, there is now a strong push to make the CBD relevant again, not by attracting 9-5 workers back, but by diversifying the offer as a mixed-use piece of city, attracting a much wider range of businesses as well as residents, around a 24/7 environment.������

In Melbourne, the city’s largest infrastructure project in decades – the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) –��presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to revive suburban environments by making new stations focal points for new ‘centres’. This supports the city’s long-term plan which promotes ‘living locally’, providing people more services and opportunities closer to home.��

Delivering much needed change to the city’s building stock

With most of the decarbonisation efforts now focused on retrofitting existing stock, the 15-minute city offers an opportunity to do a ‘deep dive’ into local areas.����

Following the coronavirus pandemic, many employees have seen their offices getting a much-needed facelift with more collaboration space and a friendlier, more relaxed environment – attracting workers to come back to the office, for at least part of the week. Local high streets and town centres, which have struggled to adapt to the change in the retail landscape following the rise in online shopping, have seen new uses like wellness, shared workplaces, galleries and local artisans take up vacant retail units. ��

These new uses encompassing retrofits are a fantastic opportunity for cities, enabling significant gains from a carbon perspective but also enhancing place quality and experience. For urban environments, which usually take years to adapt and evolve, there are opportunities to increase the pace of change.��

Conclusion

The 15-minute city concept isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ plan. It is not meant to be a perfect model for new city living, simply because there isn’t one. It is there to present and guide to a different future – shaping more liveable places, healthier and more sustainable communities.����

There is much more to the 15-minute city than how we move around. If considered holistically, it gives us useful tools to balance global challenges of climate change, economic instability or health and to balance those with the needs and aspirations of local communities. As urban planners, we should align behind these wider benefits so that the narrative moves on from the concept simply being about car use or working from home.����

This article was originally published in .��

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Across the world, cities are aiming to build advanced road transportation systems that can achieve a faster, safer and greener mobility experience for all citizens. City planners and developers are ramping up efforts to reduce traffic congestion and road accidents by utilizing data-driven solutions for enhanced traffic and incident management.

Hong Kong is no exception, and �����Ƶ works closely with various government departments to apply technology and data analytics to monitor traffic conditions and help minimize congestion, while also detecting traffic incidents and improving conditions for pedestrians.

At the same time, we are also seeing the huge potential the city has to future proof its road networks and create a safer, more efficient and smoother road transportation experience.
In particular, the development of the Northern Metropolis and other large-scale new town developments provide Hong Kong with an ideal opportunity to build a flexible, smart and sustainable road network, driven by Big Data and working for the benefit of both drivers and pedestrians.

Using data to monitor and manage road incidents

Hong Kong’s road network is among the most dense and heavily used in the world. According to the Highways Department, there are currently over 810,000 registered vehicles making use of just 2,238 kilometers of public roads. Complementing this network are 20 major road tunnels, 1,459 flyovers and bridges, and 1,599 footbridges and subways — all to support the smooth flow of people and goods.

Accommodating this small but densely packed road system is a challenge that cannot be solved simply by building new roads. Alongside new infrastructure, we also need the adoption of state-of-the-art traffic management systems, such as electronic toll collection and real-time traffic monitoring, that will play a key role in alleviating road traffic congestion and reducing traffic incidents in the city.

Great progress has already been made over the past two decades. In 2000, the Emergency Transport Coordination Centre (ETCC) was established by the Transport Department (TD) to monitor and handle traffic and transport incidents on public roads. However, due to the manual operation of incident management procedures, a lack of integration to the existing Traffic Control and Surveillance Systems (TCSSs) and the absence of a data sharing platform, ETCC’s capability in incident management and the dissemination of real-time traffic and transport information was greatly restricted.

In response, �����Ƶ was commissioned by TD in 2011 to plan, design and develop a Traffic Incident and Management System (TIMS). Our response was a multi-functional digital system, capable of fusing all available real-time traffic information to perform automatic incident detection and to assess and recommend contingency plans to provide a better and faster response to incidents.

Data from the system can be shared with relevant stakeholders such as the Hong Kong Police Force, Fire Services Department, Highways Department and public transport operators, as well as with the media and general public.

Enhancing real-time traffic management through video technology

In 2016, �����Ƶ again partnered with TD to further enhance traffic efficiency, this time through the installation of technologically advanced traffic detectors for real-time traffic detection.

Our teams installed video detectors that automatically detect traffic incidents and obtain data such as traffic speed and volume. Automatic License Plate Recognition detectors enable the identification of vehicle license plates which match with TD’s licensing system to collect traffic flow data of various vehicle classes. The resulting data is integrated in a single platform that processes information from many different sources, including TIMS, supplementary traffic data from all Traffic Control and Surveillance Systems, weather data and public transport arrival times.

At the time of the commission, only about 45 percent of strategic routes in Hong Kong were equipped with traffic detectors, which meant a complete picture of traffic conditions was not available. Working closely with TD, �����Ƶ increased the total road coverage on strategic routes and major roads to 90 percent.

The city-wide coverage has enabled Hong Kong to establish a more comprehensive and effective traffic monitoring system, capable of managing the intensive traffic volume across its road network. It has also led to improved accuracy and efficiency of incident detection, whether these are traffic accidents, roadside loading and unloading, illegal parking and more.

Creating smart transport systems for new cities

Looking to the future and the aforementioned opportunity presented by the Northern Metropolis and other developments, we are excited to envisage how the application of similar technology across traffic surveillance, incident detection and transport management can be implemented directly into new city planning.

The Northern Metropolis, with its adjacency to Shenzhen, makes it an ideal place to pioneer these smart, data-driven traffic solutions not just for Hong Kong but also for the fast-emerging Greater Bay Area (GBA). Indeed, the adoption of these and other mobility innovations such as AV-ready roads and roadside infrastructure, on-demand transit services, automated parking systems and more, will go a long way to accelerate the transformation of the GBA by enhancing territory-wide transport efficiency and travel experiences.

As Hong Kong continues to grow, so will its road networks, necessitating the need for more efficient and sustainable traffic systems, powered by technology and data. �����Ƶ’s local area knowledge and our experience in designing and operating integrated smart transport solutions across the globe will benefit the Hong Kong SAR Government’s transport roadmap for the Northern Metropolis and beyond.

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As Australia rapidly transforms its energy landscape, where does offshore wind fit in the overall energy mix, and how can we leverage the substantial investments into this emerging industry to maximise its social and economic contribution?

In this article, Dawn MacDonald, �����Ƶ’s Global Offshore Wind Sector Lead, explores what offshore wind can offer Australia, the likely challenges ahead, and the support mechanisms needed to create a thriving domestic industry.

Q. What role can offshore wind play in Australia’s renewable energy transition?
A. Offshore wind can play an important role in an overall energy mix. Expanded global deployment and rapid technological development mean wind energy is increasingly one of the most cost-effective energy sources, with its levelised cost of energy (LCOE) factors on par or below fossil fuel sources in many cases. The LCOE measures the average cost of generating one kilowatt hour of electricity over the lifetime of an asset and is a key decision-making factor for investors. Offshore wind projects are frequently a better fit to replace existing fossil fuel power plants, relative to other forms of renewables, due to the much larger scale of the projects and the predictable power output enabled by access to stronger and more consistent wind resources.

The offshore location also offers significant benefits with very limited impacts on public lands. From a stakeholder perspective, you’re not in anyone’s backyard. Stakeholders are typically concerned with visual impacts and transmission line placement with onshore wind projects. When we take these elements offshore, we can reduce these impacts substantially, with turbines largely out of sight of coastal areas (frequently over the horizon) and much of the export cable located underwater.

Q.What role does government support play in realising offshore wind projects?
A. Government incentivisation and support are significant accelerators to offshore wind projects in new markets. Over the last decade, the offshore wind sector has dramatically reduced its average LCOE, mainly due to technological improvements and economies of scale, based on early projects that have enjoyed European nations’ subsidies. These subsidies worked to de-risk projects for developers, encouraging early investments and development of supporting infrastructure. Today, Europe’s offshore wind sector is largely independent, benefiting from these early government mechanisms and initial supporting infrastructure to kickstart the industry.

Australia is in a unique position geographically due to its distance from the supply chain, which is mainly located in Europe, and its market size. It is very likely to need initial support and de-risking so that investors in offshore wind projects, the ports, and the supply chain have confidence that they can invest for the long term.

Q. What are the key considerations when integrating offshore wind into existing electricity grid infrastructure?
A. Generally, offshore wind projects are large power plants with substantial new infrastructure required, including ports and transmission system upgrades, to inject electricity into the grid. There may be cost and environmental benefits to developing common transmission infrastructure for the sector, such as common corridors for multiple export lines or shared substation infrastructure . However, these benefits must be assessed against the risk of over-investment by grid operators if the projects aren’t realised. Ultimately, the power user will bear the grid infrastructure cost, so we must strike a balance. Long-range planning and investing early for future development, where possible, will help us transition more projects in the future.

Export cables are some of the most critical infrastructure in an offshore wind farm, as power delivery to the grid is impacted if these cables are damaged or installation is delayed. Determining the onshore components, including the landing point and the route to the point of interconnection, is one of the more critical design decisions in the eyes of many stakeholders and requires extensive stakeholder engagement and planning to minimise impacts and ensure safe and reliable installation and operations of the system.

Q. How can we properly consider environmental impacts when delivering new offshore wind farms?
A. Offshore wind projects are major infrastructure, and environmental considerations must be front of mind from the beginning of the development process. Wildlife, particularly birds and marine mammals, is a key concern and should be thoroughly investigated during the planning and permitting phase. This means developing a robust understanding of the baseline populations and behaviours of relevant species so that we can understand the potential future impacts of turbines and other infrastructure.

Impacts on bird species are frequently top of mind for stakeholders when considering wind energy projects. Environmental assessments evaluate the specific bird species in the development region and typically consider impacts on feeding, nesting, and migration. For offshore wind projects, project layouts, turbine design and even installation or operation techniques or schedules can potentially be adapted to minimise negative impacts. Developers can look at mitigation options for those that cannot be avoided, such as developing new nesting areas or mitigating residual impacts.

When locating an offshore wind farm, commercial and traditional fisheries and fish spawning areas should also be considered to understand how installation strategies or design decisions might impact various fish and shellfish. Working with local traditional, commercial and recreational fisheries stakeholders, potential impacts can be identified, relevant processes for interaction during construction and operation can be developed, and appropriate compensation structures can be implemented as required.

Marine animals can be affected by noise, primarily during the construction phase, depending on the type of foundations used. Fixed bottom foundations, installed using a driven pile, can create significant noise impacts as the noise from hammering travels substantially further underwater than in the air. We’ve seen several innovative solutions out of Europe for dissipating and dramatically reducing this noise, from physical barriers to ‘bubble curtains’. A thorough understanding of the baseline conditions paired with a detailed technical review of site conditions, considering relevant technological options, can provide a view into the potential impacts and mitigation options for installation at a particular site.

An exciting and emerging element in the sector is that we are now looking at how offshore wind farms can improve biodiversity. For example, many offshore wind farms don’t allow most forms of fishing or extensive marine traffic between the turbines and, by extension, effectively create a semi-protected area for marine life. The steel structures and rock armouring for scour protection can become habitats, stimulating feeding and providing sanctuaries for certain types of marine wildlife.

Want to learn more about offshore wind in Australia? Watch our webinar Making offshore wind a reality: a local and global perspective

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In response, electricity transmission utilities globally are grappling with providing enough location-specific capacity to support the rapidly expanding renewable energy generation industry. In Australia and New Zealand, limited large-scale transmission projects have been developed over the last few decades, and the need for transmission infrastructure is slowing the energy transition. Renewable energy zones (REZs) have emerged as a promising path to meet the expanding needs of communities and help our collective net zero vision.

REZs centralise investment, enabling multiple generation parties to co-locate and share common transmission and grid connection infrastructure. They unlock benefits like economies of scale through shared infrastructure costs, accelerating the timely connection of large-scale generation, incentivising regional investment and helping meet government-mandated renewable energy targets.

�����Ƶ has been at the forefront of REZ development in Australia, assisting transmission network utilities and government entities in developing these projects. In this article, we share key learnings and what we need to mobilise future projects.

Key learnings
Changes in delivery mechanisms
Faster timelines and large-scale projects drive the need to adapt transmission project delivery in the energy sector. Historically, network providers managed projects under separate design and construct contracts, ensuring well-controlled design standards and construction. However, we need a faster and more agile approach to enable the speed of change required to transition our network to support net-zero goals.

Australian government bodies are increasingly involved in developing strategies and projects to accelerate the transition to net zero and are bringing different skill sets to project development. Leveraging diverse skill sets from aligned industries like transport and oil and gas is helping the sector to be more agile and develop projects under time pressure. As a result, existing power industry teams must adjust, becoming more flexible and responsive to client and regulatory demands.

Social licence
It has been several decades since large-scale transmission projects have been undertaken in Australia, and the expectations of landholders and stakeholders have changed significantly.

• Unlike roads, where the benefit and impact can be seen in the same area, transmission lines tend to impact areas that don’t see the direct benefit. While landowners may support the net-zero goal, there is limited benefit to them directly from a transmission line project.
• Transmission projects can cause significant community concern and angst, often amplified by media coverage and negative sentiment.

Considerable work is needed to improve social licence to build on recent developments and work through what best practice looks like at an industry level.

Resource availability
The global move to net zero means many countries are competing for the same resources, both people and the equipment supply chain. Most countries are tasked with the same challenges to transform their energy sectors, and in many cases are ahead of Australia and New Zealand from a delivery perspective.

With pressure rising to deliver critical energy infrastructure, we are seeing innovative procurement approaches. In NSW and ACT, high voltage transmission operator Transgrid is developing several large-scale projects over the next five years and is using a bundled procurement process, with support from the Commonwealth Government. While bundling is not new in some infrastructure sectors, it is unusual for large transmission projects, typically undertaken as singular regulated asset projects. However, innovative approaches must become more common to quickly deliver the industry’s vision.

Attracting talent
The industry’s significant challenge is the need for more skilled and technically competent people for large-scale transmission projects. The number of engineers, technical professionals and contractors in the energy sector constrains the number of projects we can deliver in parallel. It is likely that there will not be enough time and resources to have the same level of control over the design as seen historically. So, how will we increase the number of people working on developing electrical infrastructure? The industry can increase participation in projects by:

• incentivising migration post-COVID
• improving female participation (currently around 24 percent)
• increasing vocational employment opportunities
• advertising to build awareness of the industry and its benefits.

Unlike the mining sector, which used increased wages to help solve resourcing challenges, the energy sector must prioritise keeping consumer power prices affordable. We will need varied approaches to address our resourcing challenges as we increase project numbers and size, looking at partnerships with education organisations and industry-specific programs to drive uptake.

As we push toward a net-zero future, REZ developments will be an important part of our overall energy mix, reaping the benefits of shared infrastructure, driving economies of scale, and accelerating grid integration.

The journey of REZ projects has highlighted the need for agile project delivery, embracing diverse skill sets, digital tools, and new procurement methods to accelerate the transition in a competitive landscape. Social licence remains our biggest challenge, and fairness and equity must be a strong focus. After all, we’re all in this together.

Learn more about �����Ƶ’s energy transition services ��

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The demand for new buildings by floor area is expected to double or increase by 240 billion square meters by 2060. This entails a significant demand for new building materials and construction activities in the coming years. Currently operational carbon emissions account for 72 percent of emissions from the built environment sector; embodied carbon which comes from the energy put in to produce and transport materials makes up the rest. By 2060, this ratio will change with embodied carbon dominating the emissions related to the built environment sector at 57 percent and operational carbon (from heating, cooling, lighting and other activities) at 43 percent. With better energy efficiency and automation, operational emissions may well come down further — but because of the new building demand, embodied carbon is only going to go up as raw material usage is predicted to double compared to today.

What does this mean for the built environment sector?

In rapidly urbanizing cities like Hong Kong, we must strive to design out carbon before the project gets to site. While the pressing demand for new housing and infrastructure threatens to overshadow climate considerations, we, as carbon practitioners, must look at the life-cycle of a project to identify the opportunities for carbon reduction — and savings — at the different stages.

The updated PAS 2080 standard for whole life carbon assessment (LCA) provides a framework which covers not just operational and embodied carbon but also upfront, use stage and end of life carbon, thereby enabling followers of the standard to identify the relevant stages for reduction interventions.

PAS 2080 places great emphasis on data and evidence, particularly with reference to BS EN 15804, the standard for sustainability of construction works and services. This standard harmonizes the structure for environmental product declarations (EPD) in the construction sector, making the information transparent and comparable.

Case studies

1. Easing Sydney’s Congestion – Pavement design guide
   �����Ƶ was designer for the Easing Sydney’s Congestion (ESC) project — a A$16 billion program to ease congestion across Sydney, addressing pinch points and public transport upgrades. Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) requested a design guide providing an overview of pavement technologies utilized on ESC and recommendations for successful implementation. This included comparisons of environmental impacts (including carbon) between the selected designs against alternate and available business-as-usual technologies in like-for-like applications, quantified using LCA.
   

   

   Among other key findings, �����Ƶ’s research shows that substitution of hot mix asphalt with warm mix, together with use of recycled concrete, can reduce embodied carbon by 30 percent. Further findings showed that in-situ stabilization has poor carbon performance and binder impacts (lime, bitumen) dominate over aggregate impacts. The ESC pavement design guide is a leading example for the implementation of sustainable pavement technologies.

2. Tackling Carbon on HS2
   High Speed 2 (HS2) is a new high speed rail line being built to better connect people across Britain. It is the largest infrastructure project in Europe and the most important economic and social regeneration project in decades.

   

   �����Ƶ is assisting HS2 across various work packages, including whole-life carbon assessments of early-stage optioneering, quantitative and qualitative carbon assessments, whole-life impacts of design, and broader sustainability and environmental management.

   HS2 has committed and been certified against PAS 2080 (Carbon Management in Buildings and Infrastructure), and with this, within their Net Zero Carbon Plan, have several targets for cutting carbon emissions from construction, maintenance and operation, much of which are driven by design through “build nothing, build less, build clever and building efficiently.”

   

   HS2’s Net Zero Plan not only underlines the progress of the project thus far but presents the project’s carbon mitigation ambitions in areas like concrete and steel (reduced by 50 percent), HGV transport (reduced by 11 percent), and the elimination of diesel on HS2 construction sites. Collaboration with HS2 on these and others are key in enabling HS2 to reach its net zero goals.

3. Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis
   �����Ƶ is working on the Northern Metropolis development, a 300 km2 designated space where 2.5 million people will find homes, work and living facilities, serving as a strategic link to the Greater Bay Area on the mainland. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a city from the ground up while prioritizing its decarbonization.

   

   Implementing better design planning and integrating sustainable solutions from the very beginning are key in ensuring that we future proof our cities. �����Ƶ is playing a key role to be part of this ambitious goal. The �����Ƶ Hong Kong team is transforming the Northern Metropolis into an eco-conscious development through planning, engineering and design works with sustainability, resilience and environmental, social, and governance as pillars in the development areas of the New Territories North New Town and Man Kam To, San Tin/Lok Ma Chau Development Node, and the widening of the Yuen Long Highway.

   The array of smart, green and resilient initiatives developed by �����Ƶ aligns with Hong Kong’s avowed target of carbon neutrality by 2050.

What have we learned from these lessons?

• The path to net zero is essential for future proofing the built environment. As engineers and planners, we must take ownership for not taking “no” for an answer when it comes to embedding both operational and whole life cycle.
• There are tools and frameworks like PAS 2080 to guide us towards making the right choices for decarbonization at different stages of a project.
• Carbon management planning is important for creating a clear roadmap towards net zero projects and prioritizing opportunities with realistic carbon savings. Incremental action is crucial, rather than waiting for a perfect solution.
• Collaboration is vital across the spectrum of stakeholders involved in the built environment because it will take everyone across the entire supply chain, working in tandem, to solve the net zero challenge.

Read related content

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The benefits of lean management techniques are indisputable. But while many programme managers are aware of lean as a concept, there is often a lesser understanding of how to apply lean techniques in practice.

Lean tools need not be complicated. Here are five easy lean techniques that can help when internal processes appear unwieldy or slow.

1/ Root cause analysis using the ‘5 Whys’ technique

When difficulties occur, most managers will instinctively seek a solution to make them disappear. But this approach assumes you know why the issues occurred in the first place – which will not always be the case.

The 5 Whys is a lean tool that harnesses the power of interrogation to drill down and identify the underlying cause of an issue. Essentially you ask yourself why you have the problem, then write your answers. Then ask why again.

The resulting list of potential root causes helps inform actions to reduce or eliminate the problem, instead of purely treating the symptoms.

2/ The 3Cs

The 3Cs is a longstanding lean tool that stands for ‘concern, cause and countermeasure’. It helps team members identify, understand and solve problems collectively using boards.

These boards – which can be physical or digital – allow anyone to log a concern and demonstrate progress towards resolving it.

If the reason behind the problem is unknown, you can use the 5 Whys technique mentioned above to better understand the ‘cause’. The ‘countermeasure’ then becomes the solution.

3/ Choosing by Advantages (CBA)

In every project there are times when a major decision needs to be made.

One lean tool that is particularly effective for decision-making is Choosing by Advantages (CBA). This collaborative method encourages team members to consider the potential advantages of each alternative, leading to more informed decisions.

With clear documentation on these group decisions, the CBA technique brings a transparency that helps ensure unanimous confidence in the final decision.

4/ Process mapping

One of the key advantages of process mapping is that it presents a broad overview of any given project. This allows teams a deeper understanding of the entire process and their role in it by taking an ‘as-is’ look at what is happening at that moment.

The next step is to review the entire process through the classic lean lens by asking which steps add value, which do not, and which can be removed. This will help to streamline processes and improve efficiency.

‘Future state’ process maps — which outline the ideal way a project should operate in the future — can also help measure progress and provide direction. The real benefit, however, comes from the actions generated throughout the process.

Finally, from a programme perspective, process mapping gives people confidence that things are moving towards the desired outcomes.

5/ Kanban boards

Our final lean tool is Kanban boards. Employing the power of visualisation, Kanban boards are an efficient method of visually managing team workflows.

Sticky notes are used to represent work, while categories like ‘To Do’, ‘In Progress’, ‘Peer Review’ and ‘Done’ enable teams to monitor real-time progress and track actions.

Unlike dashboards, Kanban boards do not require data collection, nor do they quantify overall performance. Instead, they provide a visual snapshot of the workflow – and a place for people to come together to update their progress.

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Americans drive. In fact, they covered more than 3.2 trillion miles — on more than four million miles worth of roads in one year alone. In addition to people, over 70 percent of the nation’s goods journey across the United States’ road network every year. This transportation system is foundational to the livelihoods of millions of citizens and the broader economy.

Today, roads are largely paid for through the gas tax. These revenues, taken by federal, state and local government at the pump, are redistributed nationally to support the maintenance and operation of roads and mass-transit systems.

Gas tax receipts have fallen in recent years as some turn to hybrid and electric vehicles that consume less gas or none at all. In a country where more than 43 percent of public roadways are in “poor or mediocre” condition, revenue generated from the gas tax can no longer keep pace with the investment needed to maintain the nation’s transportation system. A recent study forecasts that by 2031 less than half of transportation will continue to be funded by the gas tax, compared to what is available in the Highway Trust Fund today.

With growing imperatives to cut congestion and greenhouse gas emissions caused by transportation, a new approach to funding our transportation system is required.

Charging drivers per mile

Advanced technology, coupled with the urgency of securing long-term funding models and incentives to bring the trillion-dollar Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to action, have come together to create fertile ground for rapid growth. The IIJA has provisions for research, technology and innovation. It also includes funding for a national pilot on user fees per mile driven.

Oregon, recognizing the future solvency issues of relying on the gas tax, launched the nation’s first road usage charge system in 2015, Oregon Department of Transportation stated: “This new funding model weans us off fossil fuels using a modern, technology-based solution that combats climate change while assessing drivers fairly for their road use.”

Several states nationwide, from California to Utah and Virginia, have also developed road usage charge pilots that count the miles traveled and assess a driver’s fee per mile utilizing a variety of technologies. Drivers upload their data through a selection of systems, from pay-as-you-go using GPS, to quarterly post-pay facilitated by information uploaded from the car. There are also non-automated approaches such as submitting a photo of an odometer reading.

Adoption challenges and benefits

Technology alone will not be sufficient to drive a widespread adoption of new funding models. Setting up programs nationwide takes cooperation and planning in the deployment of infrastructure and technology, as well as support from drivers and other influential groups.

The first significant challenge is consumer acceptance. The gas tax is currently hidden from sight as drivers pay at the pump. For most, its existence is either unknown or long forgotten and broadly uncontentious. A per-mile charge brings the cost of road use into plain sight in the form of an expense linked directly to miles driven. Few new user charges are instantly popular and, in some cases, require legislation to effectively implement. That said, where such alternatives have been introduced, like in Oregon, they have drawn understanding and interest from road users.

Benefits need to be clearly communicated to encourage acceptance of the new system. In many instances, road usage charges can be more equitable than a gas tax, which by its nature collects more revenue from people driving older, less fuel-efficient vehicles than those in newer hybrid models.

Technology’s role

Today, more than 91 percent of vehicles sold are connected. LTE/5G connectivity enables data collection around distances traveled, locations, driving behavior and other information. Using this embedded connectivity to participate in a road user charge program will necessitate answers to many questions, including who the data belongs to and what they are able to do with it. Does the data in the car belong to the driver? Or to the car manufacturer or software companies who might then be able to extract further value from it?

Data distribution to third parties is the subject of some commercial sensitivity and drivers need to be convinced that it is a worthwhile trade-off to provide their information in return for better service. Oregon Department of Transportation is again leading the way by piloting a process to evaluate how connected vehicles can participate in the road usage charge program.

Given that tolling enterprises are equipped with new technologies to detect vehicles, infrastructure capable of interacting with vehicle telematics systems, and a significant history and business structure to manage financial transactions and customer services, they could also be a significant participant in the deployment of a road usage charge program. At present, several studies and pilots are looking to integrate tolling and road usage charging to enable standards that support data sharing between systems. In fact, the Society of Automotive Engineers has developed a standard “that identifies the communications interface between road user, connected vehicle and tolling service provider to support road-user charging.”

Policy and incentives can drive behavior change

Utilizing technology that interacts directly with drivers, several states are also engaging road usage charge programs to encourage change. Congestion and air pollution, for example, can be remedied by dynamic charging which can help manage demand and encourage travel during non-congested periods or carpooling. Road usage charge program technologies could build on a model deployed in Tennessee where an app-based program pays people per mile traveled in carpools or on transit. An additional benefit of these programs could be more equitably delivering mobility-related assistance, such as reduced fees for qualified individuals.

Today, both Utah and Oregon provide incentives in their programs, in some cases highlighting environmental benefits, and in both emphasizing the fair and equitable approach that road usage charging brings to funding the transportation system. In Oregon participants using combustion engines earn fuel-tax credits. In Utah, where the program is only for electric vehicles at present, a 1 cent per-mile charge replaces a flat vehicle registration, with the state promising: “You’ll never pay more in the program, but you may pay less.”

Global expertise

Keeping America moving encompasses challenges from climate justice to social equity, feasibility to public outreach and so much in between. Our extensive global experience in tolling and user-fee practice, policy development and implementation, as well as our physical and digital design integration, enable us to accompany our public authorities and partners on this essential innovation journey.

We’re working with transportation authorities and other key partners around the world to stimulate action. We’ve helped facilitate cordon pricing in London, visitor toll tags in Florida, and recently helped to deploy express lanes and user fee infrastructure on the vital route between San Francisco Airport and Silicon Valley. Today, we’re working with California to deploy its latest road charging pilot, facilitating actual payments between road users and the state. As designers and deployers of world-class user payment systems, we’re using technology to build and fund the smarter, safer and more efficient transportation systems of the future enabling a climate-friendly tomorrow.

[1] https://www.oregon.gov/odot/programs/pages/orego.aspx

[2] https://www.sae.org/standards/content/j3217/r/

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The revised and expanded Carbon Management in Buildings and Infrastructure specification represents a massive advancement in how our industry can play a crucial role in enabling reductions in greenhouse gas emissions through greater understanding, thereby accelerating the charge to net zero.

PAS 2080 has established itself as the global gold standard for carbon management in infrastructure since its release by The British Standards Institution (BSI) in 2016. However, the upgrade – PAS 2080:2023 – introduces a decisive and exciting change: it is now the world’s first framework to unite both buildings and infrastructure in the decarbonisation of the built environment.

What’s in the new PAS2080:2023 revision?

The revised PAS demands that every part of the value chain works together to consider the whole life carbon of projects by bringing carbon impact into decision-making as early as possible, considering our assets as part of a wider system, and embedding best practices within procurement through to end-of-life management.

Furthermore, it requires industry to break the habit of viewing carbon with tunnel vision. Now, we must consider the importance and influence of interrelationships like nature-based solutions, climate adaptation and biodiversity and their impacts on carbon.

Everybody working in the built environment knows full well that collaboration is critical to accelerating decarbonisation. As industry contributes over 50 per cent of global carbon emissions, there is a huge task ahead of us. And so, we welcome a framework designed by and for the industry that emphasises and provides vital guidance on how it can be achieved across the full life of a project or programme.

The renewed PAS will undoubtedly help industry put the inconsistencies of the past behind it and collaborate to ensure we get the basics of carbon management right. It will boost cooperation to identify and mitigate emissions at every stage.

As a member of the Technical Advisory Panel for the revised PAS 2080: 2023, we are fully committed to working with all our partners and customers to ensure the specification is harnessed to its full potential in reducing the carbon impact of our projects.

Three key elements of the new PAS that should guide our thinking

As the industry continues on the decarbonisation path, there are three key elements to the new PAS that should guide our thinking:

1/ We must work together and factor in carbon thinking right from the start

At the heart of the renewed PAS is the recognition that there must be behavioural change if we’re to achieve our collective goals. And so it insists that all stakeholders, including owners, designers, constructors and suppliers, work together in a common framework from the earliest moments of a project. Only by doing that will projects be built on the firmest foundations for success.

As well as demanding leadership and improved governance, the framework establishes roles and responsibilities across the entire value chain to maintain a focus on carbon for the project’s lifetime.

It emphasises decisions and actions that reduce whole-life carbon as early as possible with the whole value chain considered rather than focusing on the capital (or embodied), operational or user carbon in isolation. This refreshed approach will influence broader participation and the sharing of results to reveal best practices for advancing decarbonisation.

The framework will also create a forum for parties to work together and think innovatively about which delivery approaches will work best for people and planet, such as the consideration of retrofit over new build, or the adoption of digital tools and processes.

2/ PAS 2080 certification demonstrates a clear commitment to climate action

It is notable and impressive how many people working in this industry are passionate about making a difference. Adopting the revised PAS 2080 provides us with a framework that will enable the transition to a low-carbon built environment and a means of validating this commitment. Verification will indicate adherence to the industry’s very best practices and will demonstrate clear climate action leadership.

And it also makes business sense. Users can reduce their energy, labour and material costs and win a competitive edge when bidding for tenders in an increasingly carbon and climate-aware world. In the UK for example, government-funded arms-length bodies such as major infrastructure providers National Highways, High Speed Two (HS2) and Network Rail are required to be PAS2080 certified in 2023. This will have wider implications as their supply chain will need to demonstrate compliance too.

3/ Maximise opportunities to build climate resilience

PAS 2080 acknowledges the shared obligation of the industry to contribute towards creating a cleaner and more sustainable environment.

It goes beyond carbon reduction and promotes a holistic approach to project planning that considers the broader impact on climate resilience, biodiversity, and environmental restoration.

A platform for rapid change

PAS 2080 is becoming an increasingly important means of promoting decarbonisation. As panel members of the Institution of Civil Engineers’s (ICE) , we have observed numerous instances of good practices and innovation within the industry that have resulted from these commitments.

The principles underpinning PAS 2080:2023 are already embraced by . We strongly support our clients’ ambitious decarbonisation commitments and PAS 2080 requirements for their supply chain. It reflects our common drive for decarbonisation, and together enables us to identify and implement innovations and opportunities to create a more sustainable built environment, which is core to the �����Ƶ’s ScopeX^TM approach.

We are excited to collaborate with our clients to push the boundaries of best practices and drive progress towards a more sustainable future for the built environment.

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With a full pipeline of projects promising industrial renewal and a clean energy future, America is on the cusp of an offshore wind energy revolution. The Biden Administration has set targets of 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind (OSW) in United States waters by 2030 –enough to power 10 million homes with clean energy. They are also targeting 15GW of floating OSW by 2035, to complement the modest 0.042GW of installations that exist today. The Administration is supporting the plan with financial measures and environmental stewardship to underpin the vast investment required to unlock OSW’s full potential.

Thanks to pioneering OSW development across the globe, in particular northern and western Europe, harnessing the powerful gusts that blow over the oceans is now an efficient and increasingly affordable technology to decarbonize energy supplies and minimize further climate change impact.

For a vibrant offshore wind industry to take off in the United States, one critical element cannot be overlooked: the need for port infrastructure that can handle the enormous scale of the project components. Recent years have seen staggering growth in this technology, with turbine sizes increasing rapidly to reduce the levelized cost of energy. These are massive machines: , currently under construction in China, sweeps 10 football fields with every spin. In the United States, GE is constructing manufacturing facilities for the Haliade X’s blade that is longer than a football field with a rotor that sweeps seven football fields every spin.

Ports are essential to the development of offshore wind.��They are where offshore wind turbine generator (WTG) components, foundations and other equipment get transported, stored and assembled. Ports are where floating substructures are assembled and turbines are erected prior to delivery to the offshore project site, where OSW equipment manufacturers setup their fabrication and storage yards, and where operation and maintenance activities are led. Ports are a hub for the industry, as the massive equipment involved makes marine transport essential. With the rapid development of new technologies in the green energy sector, the role of ports is also becoming increasingly prominent in the generation and distribution of renewable hydrogen.

The OSW industry in the United States is complicated by the Jones Act , also known as the Merchant Marine Act of 1920. Designed to protect the American shipping industry from foreign competition, the law limits trade between two ports within the United States to American flagged ships. In short, the Jones Act protects the shipping industry from foreign competition. While similar laws are found in other countries and often apply to intra-national shipping by sea, air, or truck, for the emerging United States offshore wind industry, the Jones act adds significant complexity as there are currently no United States flagged vessels in the existing global fleet of offshore wind installation vessels.

Under the accepted interpretation of the Jones Act, the offshore wind farm or project site is considered a United States port, and as such, only United States flagged vessels can transport materials between the marshalling port and the project site. Many developers appear to have addressed this challenge by engaging local tugs and barges to transport the equipment from the marshalling yard to the foreign flagged installation vessel which stays within the project site – avoiding violation of the Jones Act. This generally adds cost due to the need for supplemental vessels and increases risk due to the added number of vessel interfaces and additional materials handling.

There are several alternate strategies being considered in the industry. Ports need to be designed to accommodate today’s ocean-going barges, while also preparing to accommodate tomorrow’s United States flagged wind turbine installation vessels (WTIV) – the first of which is scheduled for delivery in early 2024. Solutions will look different across geographies based on water depths, installation equipment and turbine characteristics, so careful consideration of all factors is critical.

A technical challenge and a financial conundrum

While the OSW opportunity for ports is sizable, so are the challenges. Current OSW ports are being built or adapted to handle turbines that are rated up to 12-14 megawatts (MW), with nacelles ­– the component which houses all the generating elements of a wind turbine – weighing nearly 700 tons, the blades are more than 330 feet in length (approximately 100 meters) and the towers taller still. In the future, it is projected that ports will have to make room for even larger machines with rated generating capacities of 22MW or more.

OSW farms require several types of ports: for storage, marshalling and assembly of WTG components, foundation, cable, anchors, substations during the construction phase, installation and then ports for operation and maintenance during the asset life. While technical requirements vary depending on the planned usage, most are rigorous relative to standard port requirements. For the current generation of WTGs, an installation port requires up to 70 acres, with a minimum of two heavy lift berths of 650 feet (200 meters) each with a depth at berth, turning basin, and along the access channel of at least 36 feet (11 meters).

While early mover construction activity in the United States has been limited to ports in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Jersey, as many as thirteen coastal states are actively developing prospective ports for OSW. To date, port construction has been concentrated along the United States’ Eastern seaboard, which is shallower than the West Coast and therefore more suitable for fixed-bottom turbine installations. The floating technologies planned for the West Coast will drive unique port requirements and substantial investment due to port space, load capacity and lifting equipment required for floater assembly and storage prior to transport for offshore installation.

A recent report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory describes current OSW port capacity as “inadequate” and states that “half of the existing pipeline is at risk of not being installed by 2030 because of limited port and vessel availability.” �� It estimates that achieving President Biden’s goal of 30GW by 2030 will require a roughly $6 billion investment in ports and vessels.

This is where the economics of OSW become increasingly challenging. Advances in technology have made OSW competitive with other energy sources, but significant upfront investment is still required to develop a supply chain that can support the sector’s growth. It can take more than a decade for an offshore wind farm to advance from conception to operation, leaving a significant gap between investment and revenue generation, and limited capacity for project developers to fund port infrastructure development.

For port developers considering OSW, there is a further complication in the form of necessary return on investment. To recover the significant investment in port development, installation ports will need upwards of 10 to 20+ year revenue streams associated with leasing and terminal operation. However, OSW developers are typically interested in short-term (2-5 year) lease periods that are commensurate with the offshore wind farm construction or installation window. This leaves a big financial gap for port owners unless they can line up a series of developers that will commit to use the port’s facilities over a cumulative span of a decade or more. Right now, few developers are willing to commit resources that far ahead, particularly given the limited insight into leasing rounds beyond 2025.

Leveraging global expertise for United States development

In November 2022, after more than a decade of infrastructure development that transformed the country, the sporting world watched a successful soccer World Cup play out in Qatar. A crucial element of this was a $5 billion project to build Hamad Port in Mesaieed, Qatar. This was the world’s largest greenfield port development, for which we acted as program management consultant ^[3].

Relocating the port from central Doha, Qatar was key to unlocking the logistical challenge of building the infrastructure for the World Cup, including roads, bridges, a mass transit system, and stadiums. Bringing the port project together in time to support other infrastructure development necessary for a successful tournament required expertise in planning, procurement, risk / schedule management, cost control, safety, quality assurance and more. The lessons we learned in Qatar are relevant to the challenges of building OSW ports in the United States as these ports are catalyzing OSW development.

This significant global expertise is being utilized to develop the necessary OSW port infrastructure already underway in the United States, where �����Ƶ Tishman is managing the construction of the New Jersey Wind Port in Salem County. New Jersey has plans to become a hub for the OSW industry and the New Jersey Wind Port together with the Port of Paulsboro are central to those plans. The New Jersey Wind Port will support the manufacturing, fabrication, marshalling and assembly of WTGs, whereas the Port of Paulsboro will continue supporting the fabrication of fixed bottom monopile^* foundations. While the Port of Paulsboro is undergoing Phase 2 development, ground was broken in 2021 for the New Jersey Wind Port’s 220-acre parcel, which was previously a dredge material placement.

Both the New Jersey Wind Port and Port of Paulsboro are public-private partnerships (PPP) – a model for financing and developing infrastructure that could unlock the financial resources necessary for OSW infrastructure development elsewhere in the United States. The state of New Jersey has invested more than $500 million to kick-start development at Paulsboro and the New Jersey Wind Port and hopes the combined facilities will support 11GW of OSW projects by 2040.

That level of commitment, along with development funding, will help give the private sector the confidence to invest. Paulsboro has had success already by attracting leading manufacturers within the OSW industry supply chain. Specifically, EEW, a German manufacturer, is investing in the construction of a 70-acre monopile fabrication facility at the site, which creates approximately 260 local jobs.

Finding the right funding support

At the federal level, the Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act (IIJA) signed into law in November 2021 by President Biden also recognizes the potential of OSW to stimulate economic activity. Three specific provisions impact OSW: 1) increased funding for vessels, of which there is a shortage; 2) among other OSW impacting provisions, the IIJA program includes over $600 million in port grants through the Maritime Administration’s Port Infrastructure Development Program; 3) the regulatory authority to permit energy storage on the Outer Continental Shelf, which could allow the development of hydrogen production from OSW and is regarded as an important mechanism for extending the potential of wind power beyond electrification.

Growing pains

��Political commitment, climate change and technological advancement have created a rich opportunity for OSW in the United States. The installation and maintenance of 45GW of fixed and floating wind projects over the next two decades offers an enormous opportunity for economic growth in coastal communities across the entire continent. The Biden Administration targets the creation of 77,000 new jobs, the revitalization of old, underachieving ports as hubs for the OSW industry, and a cleaner, more affordable energy transition in the long run.

As discussed, to achieve these targets the United States OSW industry will need to overcome substantial legal, logistical, technical, financial, and environmental challenges. Overcoming these barriers requires expertise that is both broad and deep, covering disciplines from port design and construction to environmental management and brokering alternative delivery models like PPPs, as well as expert grant writers helping in the application process. We have developed expertise over decades of working in the maritime market planning, designing, and delivering ports across the world, as well as enabling the energy transition through commitment to the OSW market. We believe in the sustainable, decarbonized future that renewable energy promises, and we are committed to working with all those helping to bring it closer.

* Monopiles are mega scale steel pipe piles (i.e. 40-feet in diameter) that are driven into the seabed and act as foundations for the tower sections of offshore wind turbines to sit upon.

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Looking back at 2022, we saw the wrap of several organizations focused on the deployment of automated vehicles (AVs) with the closing of Argo.ai being the most recent. The combined forces of inflation and potential recession have driven up the cost of investment funding, and the United States is facing intense global pressure related to the development of automation. Vehicle automation also has the additional burden of being a safety-forward technology and safety solutions have traditionally shown a lower return on investment. This economic environment is leaving a strain on start-ups entering the market as well as organizations currently operating in the AV market.

Where does this leave automation? How can AVs prove their safety reputation while delivering on their promising investment to market? More importantly how do we continue to advance a technology and strategy that can help us tackle the significant loss of life caused by our existing modes of transportation that connectivity and automation could help solve.

Continued investments from global giants like Google’s Waymo which recently launched full-fledged robotaxi services in Phoenix, GM and Cruise which launched commercial services this last fall, or Baidu and Pony.ai which have won the right to deploy automated taxis in Beijing point towards a continued growth in a tightening global market.

Infrastructure owners and operators (IOOs) could equally have a significant investment in how to accelerate automation. Over the past few years, IOOs have worked to find their role in the deployment of automated vehicles. For the past decade, AV manufacturers have consistently messaged to IOOs that their vehicles are able to function in environments built for human drivers; however, minor adjustments to the infrastructure, particularly in the form of extra-vehicle situational awareness provided via communications, would allow for AVs to function more optimally. AV operators have explained that infrastructure consistency is important providing an environment that minimizes conflict with other road users. Until now, IOOs have not had a significant role in the deployment of AVs.

What if IOO’s and the AV industry could invest together to identify a set of minimal functional requirements for automation, better accelerating the safety frameworks for deployments, and thereby support automation developers and operators during a time when their funding is tight?

There are a handful of AV operational needs that are common across most platforms and approaches. If IOOs could develop some of these common factors, AV developers may be able to use their limited funding for other automation development. Equally IOOs would be playing an investment role in accelerating the deployment of safety benefits brought by the automation technology.

Some of the key areas of cooperation and support from the IOOs may include:

• Localization support
• Object detection and classification
• Common elements of path planning – such as sparse high-precision GPS waypoints, and high definition (HD) mapping.

If the AV industry can harmonize on these attributes across operational design domains (ODDs), AV developers may use investments to support more specific automation capabilities required for that developer’s specific business needs.

Localization and mapping

Many IOOs are considering creating high-definition maps of their geographies and several are considering integrating these with digital twins that also allow the IOO’s to convene digital policy, rules of the road and insights. As part of their efforts to improve safety in Utah, Utah Department of Transportation has already created HD maps of the entire state. Not all AV operators or designers use mapping the same way, and most AV OEMs create their own maps.�� If IOOs were to undertake an effort to understand the minimal set of data attributes needed for these maps, there may be opportunity to provide some harmonized basic mapping protocols that could be used by AV operators.�� If IOOs can increase safety with an investment in mapping, that may also allow AV operators to invest in other areas of operation, thereby proliferating safety and mobility improvements and improving automation technology.

IOOs should also work with the AV industry to determine what information can be shared from the industry back to IOOs if, for example, minimal map data is generated and shared with the AV industry, perhaps the industry could reciprocate with high-precision GPS corrections to the position of map elements. A thorough understanding of potential shared data needed to support automation could also be a part of an IOO effort to create digital twins of infrastructure.�� If an IOO can work with AV operators to understand data needs, digital twin design can be harmonized to accept and use data from vehicles.

Harmonized asset data

Roadway assets, specifically lane markings, signage, and traffic control devices, are not the same throughout the world.�� If IOOs can work together on developing and approving a harmonized dictionary for roadway assets and create a data exchange for this information, this could enable safety capabilities of AVs. This concept is already being pursued in the Department of Transportation Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx), and for other infrastructure-based information such as signal phase and timing (SPaT) through the USDOT Joint Program Office (JPO) Operational Data Environment (ODE). Expanding on the WZDx idea, AV truck operators have also requested a Weigh Station Data Exchange (WSDx), which is another area where IOOs could add a spark.

Likewise, precise localization is a challenge for both automated and connected vehicles, specifically in “urban canyon” areas where tall buildings inhibit direct line of sight to GPS satellites and the GPS signals are reflected.�� Tunnels also provide a specific challenge for automated and connected vehicles for blocking GPS entirely, and due to the extreme lighting contrast for machine vision systems when entering or exiting a tunnel. Even in the complete absence of GPS information, AVs have the benefit of numerous onboard sensors, which are used to provide precise localization data to AV systems, such as the path planner. However, the effectiveness of this is tightly coupled to the algorithms used within the AV software stack. The USDOT-sponsored connected vehicle deployments have shown significant challenges in urban areas with tall buildings, specifically in New York City.�� In that pilot, the noisy GPS data was addressed using a novel method of measuring time-of-flight from Roadside Unit (RSU) to offset GPS signal error and verified using a vehicle mounted laser pointer. This would be possible by precisely measuring the GPS position of the RSU, which can be transmitted to On-Board Unit (OBUs) or stored in an onboard map of the AV or CV system. This is another example for how automated and connected vehicle systems can inherently improve each other, and how IOOs may be able to better support automation.

Like the RSU solution NYC used, GPS corrections can also be provided using a technology called real time kinematics (RTK), which uses a precisely positioned base station and broadcasts a correction that devices can use to overcome the error in the GPS signal. IOOs could provide something similar as a service to augment GPS precision equipment, which may include any kind of roadside equipment that is able to be precisely located and transmit a simple message with its location and a timestamp; however, regardless of the information an IOO is able to provide, the automated or connected vehicle devices will still need a minimum level of capability to process the data available effectively.

Path planning

Path planning is one of the fundamental components of an AV. In essence, this function is responsible for evaluating all available paths the vehicle could take in both the short-term and long-term planning horizons, and then selecting the “best” path.�� This occurs many times each second for short-term planning, which allows a vehicle to correct for small deviations in the vehicle’s position versus its previously planned position, and to react to immediate or predicted hazards that have been detected by the AV’s perception pipeline. Long-term path planning is akin to route planning and may never be revaluated once a route is set; however, a flexible path planning architecture will have the ability to replan a route based on unforeseen circumstances.�� To the extent an IOO can support fundamental path-planning which is something AV developers could potentially share.

One of the limitations of today’s AV systems is their inability to drive on roadways that have not been previously mapped by the AV developer using proprietary methods and data structures.�� This limits scalability and operational flexibility, but according to the previous mention on minimal map data requirements, IOOs could provide a sparse GPS waypoint data layer, accessible through a permissioned API for example, that would provide the AV developer with an idea of the contours of the roadways that a new route could be created within their system.�� The first time a vehicle travels on a new roadway using only the sparse GPS waypoints, it could proceed more cautiously relying more on its onboard sensors to navigate the environment, but as its traversing this new route, it can be recording all the data needed for the AV developer to create its own version of a map.�� The AV industry could then contribute back to the IOO information such as corrections to the sparse waypoints, further improving the accuracy of these, and expediting the use of the roadway for others in the future.

Together IOOs and the AV industry have an opportunity to use ingenuity and transferable solutions-thinking to integrate data, systems and mapping that can improve the safety ROI needed to ensure the livelihood of the AV market. Investors, developers, public and private organizations all should be working together to enable the future of automated transportation.

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It’s no secret that for many years, there has been a shortage of engineers around the world. A number of factors, including an increasing aging workforce and lack of interest, have been attributed to the declining numbers. In Hong Kong, it’s facing two additional conditions with the relocation of experienced engineers overseas and new graduates pursuing employment elsewhere rather than locally.

However, the shortage is not because of the absence of opportunities. In fact, under the pandemic, many governments are looking to invest in infrastructure projects to boost their economy and enhance resilience. In Hong Kong, there are ambitious plans for the future development of the city targeting increasing housing and infrastructure with the Northern Metropolis and Lantau Tomorrow Vision initiatives.

I believe the issue is that we need to showcase to more people, especially students, the exciting opportunities available in the engineering field and how the work contributes enormously to benefit their communities. When students are asked about their ideal occupations, their first choices are usually doctors and lawyers. They seldomly think of engineers as much of their work happens behind the scenes. This is especially true for those in the geotechnical discipline where projects are underground and not necessarily as aesthetically attractive as say a towering skyscraper. However, that doesn’t make their work any less important.

A good example is the Po Shan Drainage Tunnels, an innovative groundwater control system built underneath the hillside of the Mid-Levels areas of Hong Kong which offers better control of groundwater levels through a pair of drainage tunnels, 172 sub-vertical drains and an automatic real-time monitoring system. This wonderful piece of engineering work is almost invisible from outside, but it’s critical to reducing landslide risks and protecting the community. Geotechnical engineers are integral in safeguarding the public, whether it’s against devastating natural disasters, or ensuring the safety of a towering skyscraper through the design of a secure foundation to support the building above.

Both companies like �����Ƶ and professional institutions have important roles to play in attracting and developing engineers. �����Ƶ has the unique advantage of offering engineers of different disciplines ample opportunities to work on world-class projects around the world. Many of today’s engineers are excited about the prospects of working on international mega-projects such as NEOM in Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, professional bodies can help raise the profiles of engineers and build up the image of the profession through outreach activities. In Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE) is one of the largest professional bodies, and in my new role as the Chairman of the HKIE Geotechnical Division, I’ll be actively working with its members to recognize and promote the technical excellence and contributions of engineers to the community.

In addition to attracting more talents to the sector, nurturing the current pool of young engineering professionals is just as important. The declining numbers of experienced engineers offers them great opportunities to advance their careers, but some might not be equipped to take on more senior roles or responsibilities. Therefore, it’s up to the more senior engineers to spend more time in supporting the development of the next generations of engineers.

If the shortage of engineers continues to increase, it will certainly affect the delivery of various government and private projects. And if certain projects such as those to increase housing do not come into fruition, it can result in a chain of events that negatively affects different communities.

As someone who has been in the geotechnical engineering discipline for around 23 years, I still find it a very fun job as we are always dealing with uncertainties and complexities. Each project that we work on is unique as no two are the same. When we come to work every day, we are facing new challenges, which can be tough, but also rewarding. To me, engineers are unsung heroes whose contributions span from laying solid foundations for buildings and infrastructures to building safe tunnels through mountains and across the sea to ensuring public safety from different hazards such as landslides and flooding. There is a great sense of satisfaction and mission from this field as your work delivers positive impacts to your community and many others.

Johnny Cheuk is �����Ƶ’s vice president, Geotechnical, Hong Kong, and Chairman of Geotechnical Division at the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers.

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Below are just a few of the highlights from the report which shows how we are providing truly sustainable solutions for our clients informed by decades of experience, industry-leading ESG expertise and, above all, a drive to do good and be good.

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Progressed toward our goal of science-based net zero by 2040, a target validated by the Science Based��Targets initiative (SBTi)

We reached operational net zero in fiscal 2021, while reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions which cover fleet and office energy, respectively, by 47 percent from our full year 2018 baseline year, using key travel and real estate initiatives. In accordance with the new and even more rigorous SBTi net zero standard, we have also s which emphasizes decarbonization over offsets. This ambitious target places us among the forefront of companies globally.

Launched our ESG Advisory Services, supported by decades of expertise

One of our signature milestones this year has been the launch of our ESG Advisory practice, which deploys our depth of expertise to navigate our clients through this rapidly evolving space and realize their ambitious visions. Working with organizations at the forefront of the green transition globally, including the United Kingdom’s and , our Advisory Services are mitigating risk, building trust and improving long-term outcomes worldwide.

Advanced��ScopeX initiatives to accelerate our ESG offering for��clients and cut carbon in our work

is a core offering of our ESG services and will be one of our greatest contributions to tackling the climate crisis. By accounting for materials, site locations, logistics and construction methods, it will help reduce and eliminate the impact of projects on the natural environment. With ScopeX, we aim to reduce the carbon impact of major projects by at least 50 percent.

Acted on equity, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) by addressing equity challenges globally and regionally

We continue to make progress . We’re nearing our target for women to compose 35 percent of our workforce, with women in 18 percent of leadership roles and making up 33 percent of our overall workforce. We have also fostered a culture of inclusivity that has been recognized by organizations like the Human Rights Campaign— which has named us a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality in the United States. Our ED&I commitments efforts extend to the communities we serve, where we’ve implemented locally relevant workplace diversity and pay equity goals.

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Beyond a commitment

In just one year, we’ve made objective progress on our targets and have set even more stringent ones so that we can lead for our clients and our people. But what can’t be quantified is our sense of purpose.

For us, ESG is so much more than a commitment—it’s something we see every day in our work, where its impact is truly felt. I invite you to see that impact for yourself in this year’s report and explore each of our accomplishments as we continue to deliver Sustainable Legacies worldwide.

Read the report

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Despite clear public interest in speeding the delivery of infrastructure improvements in the United States, it can take as many as 4½ years on average to receive environmental approvals that clear the way for major federal projects.

The Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act (IIJA) establishes an approach to reduce these delays, and other permitting reform efforts are being pursued by government to deliver needed highway, rail, water, new energy and utility projects more quickly. At the same time, new cloud-based, interactive digital platforms like �����Ƶ’s PlanEngage can be influential ��to help reduce by half the cumulative review time and improve transparency and public engagement. In fact, lawmakers in Congress are considering policies to encourage the use of digital tools in the review process.

Making regulatory documents more accessible

While the review requirements set out in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) are critical to protect communities and habitat, a combination of factors over time has combined to extend the environmental review process – leading to costly delays and even dooming worthy projects. Environmental Impact Statements that were as once as short as 10 pages now average 600 pages, plus appendices that typically exceed 1,000 pages. Understaffed regulatory agencies often working across multiple jurisdictions and juggling input from the public, consultants and other stakeholders can bog down under the sheer weight of the review process.

Online digital platforms like PlanEngage essentially make NEPA documents more accessible, expanding stakeholder engagement and transparency, while enabling interactivity and edits in real time between regulatory agencies and the public that can speed up reviews.

How PlanEngage made collaboration easier in Arizona

This was the case in Arizona where PlanEngage was first used by the Arizona Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) during review of a 280-mile interstate highway segment between Nogales and Wickenburg. Instead of navigating dense, static, two-dimensional PDF documents, the platform allowed users to search headings and subheadings through a navigation bar and provide input. Readers could pop out graphics, see photos and visualizations in a separate window on their devices, and provide input.

In addition to promoting more efficient reviews, online digital platforms allow for better collaboration between agencies that can identify and resolve conflicts earlier in the process, which also reduces the number of formal comments on the draft EIS. In the case of Arizona’s I-11 expansion, it also unlocked new opportunities.

Arizona officials said the results achieved through the interactive process will guide their efforts on future studies.

With as much as $1.2 trillion in new federal infrastructure spending hitting the market, and greater demand by the public for input and more equitable ways to deliver it, the timing is right for increased uptake of online digital platforms. In a process where debate is limited to formal written submissions or public hearings, interactive, mobile-phone friendly documents and engagement, can draw higher levels of interest, reach a broader audience and allow for a wider diversity of voices in real time.

What’s more, officials say, is that better public understanding of projects leads to more substantive comments, less ambiguity and fewer delays or challenges related to not being able to find information in a timely way.

Reducing costs, speeding up delivery

The core goals of environmental review and public participation remain as important as ever in the review process. Delivering an ambitious infrastructure program requires a new approach that aligns with the original intent of NEPA requirements and helps get projects off the drawing board.

A 2015 analysis prepared by Common Good, a nonpartisan reform coalition, found that a six-year delay in starting construction on public projects cost the nation nearly $4 trillion, a sum far in excess of the amount needed to modernize America’s infrastructure. Today’s inflationary economy has already begun eating into the spending power created by IIJA and client project decision-making.

Regulators and clients alike can play a role in encouraging innovation and moving from the approach of previous generations for environmental reviews to an interactive, cloud-based platform approach appropriate for 21st century infrastructure. The outcomes can lead to better projects delivered faster and more economically, while ensuring the environmental protections that keep our communities safe and thriving.

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The reduction of waste through circular economy principles and resource efficiency has a key role to play in reducing the environmental impact of major road and rail projects. However, uptake of new earthworks assessment and management techniques and processes within the UK is arguably slow. There’s a very real risk that potential opportunities to reduce cost and carbon may be lost if our industry continues to take a traditional approach to earthworks management.

This article draws from global best practice and specialist geosystem knowledge to suggest alternative ways that clients and contractors can take ownership of ground conditions – even unforeseen ones – to reduce costs and carbon, and to benefit local communities.

The potential of geosystems

There are many ways to reuse site-won materials ranging from primary fills for earthworks structures through to those needing modification or improvement to allow their reuse in a meaningful way. We use the term ‘’ to include any composite solution to ground engineering challenges, which are more sustainable and cost efficient than traditional alternatives. Geosystems cover applications from ground improvement techniques such as mechanical or chemical soil stabilisation through to reinforced soil applications such as abutment thrust relief walls or geotextile encased columns.

While geotechnical engineers may possess the tools to manage unforeseen ground conditions in a sustainable way, they are often hindered from using these techniques as the prevailing site conditions are perceived by many as not being appropriate – forming barriers to their use.

In the UK, a traditional, risk-averse, highly conservative approach to ground engineering prevails, where (carbon intensive) methods are often chosen over globally employed methodologies, which are often mistakenly labeled ‘innovative’.

However green shoots are emerging from some client organisations who appear to recognise the potential benefits of adopting new techniques. ��A from HS2 in conjunction with the Infrastructure Industry Innovation Partnership (i3P) identified potential annual savings of £300 million within earthworks alone from 26 key opportunities within the UK.

There are many ways we can improve our approach to earthworks management for the wider benefit: by embracing more pragmatism in our design and management processes; building in resilience; and questioning the standard options so prevalent in our industry.

Ultimately however, there is no substitute for a comprehensive ground investigation: as it’s the tool by which we can design out excess conservatism and ensure sustainable, lower cost solutions are adopted at the outset.

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