Infrastructure in Transitions: A Systematic Review of How Infrastructure Influences and is Influenced by Sustainability Transitions
Hazal Deniz Kaya (TU Delft - Design & Construction Management)
P.W. Chan (TU Delft - Design & Construction Management)
D.F.J. Schraven (TU Delft - Real Estate Management)
Martijn Leijten (TU Delft - Organisation & Governance)
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Abstract
Understanding the current status and historical path dependencies of infrastructures is crucial for planning future interventions in sustainability transitions. However, studies that examine the interplay between sustainability transitions and civil infrastructures remain limited. This paper presents a systematic review of 97 empirical studies that analyze how infrastructure systems and sustainability transitions influence one another. Infrastructure is found to play a dual role—as both a structuring force that enables or constrains transitions, and as a domain reshaped by transition processes. The review identifies key knowledge gaps and transdisciplinary opportunities. Firstly, capacity-related challenges—across technical, managerial, institutional, and policy dimensions—emerge as a shared concern and a promising entry point for deeper integration of infrastructure- and transition-oriented perspectives. Notably, the tactical level, where strategic ambitions are translated into infrastructure practices, remains significantly underexplored across the literature. Finally, most studies focus on individual systems, overlooking interdependencies across infrastructures and transitions, highlighting the need for a more networked, cross-sectoral approach.
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