Category: Insights
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Opening up our data
Here at the Commission, data underpins our work. It helps us understand the state of infrastructure in the UK, how well it is performing for us, and what infrastructure we might need in the future. Because it’s so important, we’ve been working to make it easier for you to access and use. Welcome to our...
Better defining ‘levelling up’ is a crucial step to achieving it
Some form of regional inequality has been a persistent feature of the UK. Not only are there profound differences between regions (i.e. North and South), there are also inequalities within regions. Pockets of low productivity and heightened levels of deprivation exist in both successful and unsuccessful places. But these are not set in stone; changing...
A sector that looks more like today’s UK will serve it better
“Create a diverse, inclusive workplace that is representative of the public we serve – and ensure that infrastructure planning, decision-making and implementation reflects the needs of the entire population.” Walking into a conference hall containing some of the key decision makers in infrastructure investment a few years ago, I was struck by the similarity of...
My first 100 days
100 days ago, I took up my post as Chief Executive of the NIC. Like others who have changed jobs during the crisis, I’ve been navigating the challenge of being away from a tangible office environment and getting to know my new team through calls and computer screens. While it’s been a rather unconventional start, I join at a time when the Commission’s work has never...
Can data help make our crucial infrastructure even more resilient?
Now more than ever we can see the importance of data to help us anticipate, react, and recover from infrequent but potentially devastating events. But this is not just true of pandemics: data can help us to manage direct shocks to infrastructure as well. During the current crisis, our infrastructure systems have generally stood up...
Forecasting a changeable outlook
You don’t have to be a trained weather forecaster to note that the weather in the UK is changing. The scientific consensus is that we will see an increase in the frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events as a result of climate change. The UK government has legislated for net zero greenhouse gas emissions by...
Metering will save us water sooner
It’s not surprising that household water consumption has surged during the Covid19 lockdown. We’re washing our hands more than ever, and many of us are home all day using our bathrooms and kitchens. But even before lockdown, some of us were already using more water than we need – by taking long showers, watering our...
How can infrastructure improve competitiveness?
Looking beyond the urgent priorities raised by the present pandemic, Commission Economic Advisor Beth Horsman introduces a new discussion paper exploring the vexed subject of competitiveness and its implications for long term infrastructure planning. When you think of competitiveness, what sort of images spring to mind? Furiously fought sporting fixtures; athletes training for competitions; a...
Infrastructure and the efficient delivery of new housing
This blog post relates to the new paper Infrastructure to support housing. We often hear that Britain is in the midst of a housing crisis. The government aims to tackle it by building one million homes in England over the next five years, with the annual build rate rising towards its 300,000 homes target. This...
Unwrapping the importance of infrastructure for everyday life
As we hurtle towards Christmas, infrastructure is perhaps not top of most people’s minds. But without it, the holidays would be rather less enjoyable (raw turkey, anyone?) and those of us travelling wouldn’t be able to get to where we are supposed to be. So this year, the National Infrastructure Commission is working with various...
A Day in the Life of our CEO
Our Chief Executive, Phil Graham, leaves the Commission in January 2020 after four years in the role. Phil led the establishment of the Commission and the landmark publication of the UK’s first National Infrastructure Assessment in 2018. Here, he sets out what his typical working day involves. 07.30 Three days a week my day begins...
A renewable future for Britain is about more than meeting net zero
Just a decade ago, the jury was out on renewables. We questioned whether wind and solar would ever be affordable and resilient enough for us to rely on them. But today, it’s a different story. This year has seen a promising milestone in Britain’s transition towards a greener economy. In September, the government awarded Contracts...
Public transport choices and the future of mobility
Much is uncertain about the opportunities and challenges that will be presented by mobility in the future – but the choices that are made by politicians now on how to support effective public transport are sure to be critical, no matter what is ahead. Technological change can come much faster or much slower than expected,...
Dealing with disruption: a YPP perspective on resilience
From safe water from our taps, to how we heat and light our homes, to the transport we use to get to work, our infrastructure provides the backbone of modern UK society. For many of us, this is something we take for granted but every so often the system is stressed or disrupted. What is...
A generational perspective on infrastructure
Millennials spend all their money on Netflix, Ubers and takeaway coffees. We’re card-carrying members of the snowflake generation. We stay living with our parents for longer, join the workforce later and languish in seemingly eternal adolescence. We’re glued to our phones – more concerned with our curated and self-indulgent online worlds than the reality of...