Sustainability Salon: Neighbourhood-scale infrastructure

The centralisation of infrastructure has underpinned industrial development for centuries. However, in today’s context, do its advantages still outweigh its limitations? Given the scale of repairs and improvements now required, we have an opportunity to explore more stable, secure, and equitable models – and consider infrastructure at a different scale that we usually do.

Technologies such as district heating, domestic battery storage, solar panels, electric vehicles, grey‑water collection and use, as well as smaller grids with distributed generation, treatment, and control, all have the potential to enable a fairer and more affordable distribution of amenities. But has this potential been realised – and will it be in the future?

While many of these technologies are deployed by homeowners and landlords at the individual property level, a more coordinated approach may be needed. We need a range of perspectives to understand the most effective way forward. Should solutions be considered at the scale of neighbourhoods? Can we, as communities, negotiate ourselves into more sustainable positions and make Scotland’s infrastructure the envy of our neighbours?

About the Sustainability Salons

Organised by Knowledge Exchange Associate David Hughes, the Sustainability Salons bring together the practical knowledge of industry and the technical and theoretical expertise of academics, to inspire projects that will help solve sustainability issues. We have EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) funding available to support these projects.

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Host or Publisher University of Glasgow - College of Science & Engineering