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How infrastructure bill discussions may have forever changed how we define and understand our built environs

How infrastructure became headline news by changing the story

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Construction

How infrastructure bill discussions may have forever changed how we define and understand our built environs

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It took jaw-dropping trillion-dollar figures, a priority-reframing pandemic and a scary escalation in natural disasters, but in 2021 a decidedly unsexy topic — infrastructure — got a little love. Regardless of what version of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passes, it will be historic. Yet almost as important are the associated discussions, which could impact numerous infrastructure sectors for decades.

SmartBrief’s report, The 2020 marketing and reframing of infrastructure: Civil engineer and public perspectives, asks:

  • How did infrastructure consistently become front-page news this year, and how can that momentum be continued? 
  • Does the definition of infrastructure require an update? What did surveyed readers of SmartBrief for Civil Engineers think it should mean? 
  • Can new technology and funding mechanisms be better incorporated in discussions on infrastructure?

The full SmartBrief for Civil Engineers report is available here