ABSTRACT
In a field that has for a long time been characterized by a “tyranny of the experts,” namely engineers and planners, what are some of the ways this orthodoxy is being challenged? Can infrastructure be designed to really reflect the diversity of wants and needs within today’s communities? In what ways are new technologies able to improve the planning, operation, and governance of existing and future infrastructure systems? The chapter covers new developments in the democratization of infrastructure planning and citizen engagement, focusing on citizen-centric approaches, and how ordinary people can be involved in not just the conversation but the planning and design of infrastructure. This mode of thinking about the governance and planning of infrastructure is about “whole systems,” which is meant to be not just about technical and engineering rationalities but also about a great deal of social institutions and political and organizational rationalities as well.
