The impact of infrastructure on quality of life - literature review

A report by academics from the University of the West of England, reviewing the available evidence for links between economic infrastructure and quality of life. The review offers insights on how infrastructure can affect quality of life and wellbeing, particularly at the local level. As a guide to existing evidence, it is based on a comprehensive search and review of published academic work, and attempts to synthesise these relations.

The review suggests that transport is the infrastructure sector which has the most coverage in terms of how infrastructure impacts quality of life in beneficial and adverse ways. Beyond this, at least in developed countries, the success of infrastructure systems can render them ‘invisible’ and possibly, less prevalent within academic study.

Insights from the review will be used to inform the Commission’s thinking in its future work.

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