Drawing on innovation and collective wisdom to drive intentional change

Initially, the divide in optimism across generations seems counter intuitive. Given the many seemingly insurmountable challenges, why would younger generations have more positivity? Are the younger generations not the ones who will bear the brunt of our cargo-ship-like turning circle on issues like fossil fuels and housing affordability? It seems we have entered a period where change is mandatory, and for some, change is hard. Older generations are concerned primarily with keeping things the way they are, but the reality is, the way things are now, will not work for the future. We have an obligation – a requirement to change.

I believe we have started to see some signs of meaningful change. Transport is at the start of a revolution where active modes are beginning to be considered as a fundamental need rather than an afterthought. Green energy projects are starting to make commercial sense, rather than just another marketing strategy. There are examples of diverse and meaningful urban densification springing up around the globe. These signs of change and success stories provide a sense of hope.

Change, in the simplest sense, comes in two forms. Unintentional change and intentional change. Unintended change is often the result of continuing the same action and not responding to the feedback received from a system. Intentional change is the opposite. The question we must ask ourselves as practitioners, is where are the opportunities for us to drive intentional change? Where should we do things differently, seek innovative approaches and use our collective wisdom to intentionally change a process and in turn an outcome? You don’t act on an outcome; you act on a process. That change in process leads to a change in outcome. The changes coming are inevitable and we will either be at the forefront, driving new approaches and leading the way, or we will be following others.

For anyone working in the infrastructure field, the most fundamental thing to recognise is that the interconnectedness of the challenges we face is undoubtable. The solutions to our challenges exist in a complex, interconnected network. More housing does not work without accessible transport and access to jobs. That transport must be equitable and sustainable. That increase in housing and transport comes with increased energy and resource demand, which must be provided through clean, renewable solutions. As engineers, designers, scientists and advisors, we are in a unique position to influence almost every one of those domains. Our influence will be maximised by actively seeking chances to work together, outside of our individual areas of expertise.