Systems thinking offers a genuine catalyst for infrastructure performance transformation – but powering it up requires honest debate and collaboration across old barriers, writes Robyn Francis of the Smart Cities Council
Globally, the built environment faces mounting pressure: while ageing assets need modernisation, actual investment in new infrastructure is down.
The UK in particular is losing an estimated £80bn a year to low public sector productivity – dragged further by fragmented thinking and entrenched operational silos.
The latest TIP Summit, held in Melbourne by Bentley Systems, Smart Cities Council, the Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE), Australian British Chamber of Commerce, Business Western Sydney and the UK government, challenged whether we’re giving systems thinking enough credit as the real enabler of infrastructure transformation.
The case for systems thinking: Industry tensions
The central argument is that tools alone won’t boost productivity; instead, we must break down persistent “mental silos” that keep data, teams and budgets isolated.
A systems approach coordinates sectors like transport, housing, energy and digital – reducing duplication, speeding delivery and driving public value.
London’s integrated city platform’s performance demonstrates the power of joining up environmental and mobility data, but integration can raise legitimate industry concerns over data sharing, intellectual property and upfront investment costs.
Calls to align on shared data standards and pooled digital assets, like the surge in UK digital twin adoption, also prompt resistance – especially around legacy IT investments and competitive positioning.
Structural shifts: Points of pushback
For the UK, many pioneering smart city and open data efforts stall at scale. Departments often cling to data, with procurement sticking to risk-averse “tick-box” templates.
Deeper systemic change is needed – but here too, industry resistance is real. Treating data as a public good (seen in NYC and Melbourne) can spark fears around privacy, security and commercialisation.
Designing for interoperability from the outset – Singapore’s model – is easier said than done for markets with diverse legacy systems and procurement restrictions.
Outcomes-based procurement, proven in the Netherlands and Toronto, can be uncomfortable for both contractors, who must assume more risk, and clients wary of giving up detailed specifications.
Digital, data and design: Game changers or disruption?
Digital twins and open-data ecosystems promise a revolution in asset management and urban experience but only if data quality, governance and sharing cultures get industry buy-in. Data democratisation, now visible in some UK councils, challenges established business models and traditional notions of data control.
The push for placemaking as a “productivity asset” – not just a community tick-box – can also meet pushback, as it asks for investment in non-traditional metrics of value like social inclusion or health.
Mindset shifts and market realities
Instead of simply building more, system-wide observation and informed interventions are called for. AI-driven site monitoring is slashing inefficiencies globally but also raises questions about workforce impacts and surveillance ethics. Remote leak detection and integrated mobility platforms offer cost and disruption savings – yet can disrupt established contracts and vested interests.
A practical new paradigm for infrastructure performance
The risk is that systems thinking becomes an abstract buzzword rather than a catalyst for real outcomes. Advocates stress the need for practical toolkits, strong feedback loops between policy and delivery, and sector-wide sharing of what actually works.
Industry’s challenge is to lean in – not just with pilot projects but by addressing blockers, collaborating on standards and building trust in new models.
The future built environment should feel seamless, resilient and inclusive – with productivity measured by lasting value, not just outputs. The shift is system-led, data-enabled and people-powered.
But scaling these models will demand honest debate and partnership across old boundaries – especially where disruption to business-as-usual is most acute.
For the UK, this isn’t hypothetical; it’s both a necessity and an opening. Embracing systems thinking now could define the sector’s legacy for decades to come.
The next TIP Summit in London will be held in November.
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