Society-based design: promoting societal well-being by designing sustainable and resilient infrastructure

Modern societies rely on large-scale interdependent networks and systems that are critical for economic growth and societal well-being. Such infrastructure are vulnerable to natural as well as anthropogenic hazards. Past disasters have shown that the societal consequences of the damage and failure of infrastructure often significantly exceed the physical damage to such systems. In addition, the extent of impact on society is typically not limited to the immediate aftermath of a hazardous event but can be long term. This paper introduces sustainability and resilience as two of the most important characteristics of infrastructure, in terms of addressing societal needs, and presents some of the engineering tools for the development of sustainable and resilient infrastructure. It provides a targeted perspective based on a volume of previous works aiming to outline the underlying narrative and set the scene for future developments. The paper includes a broader discussion of interdisciplinary considerations to be accounted for to achieve sustainable and resilient infrastructure.