Culture in sustainable infrastructure: the polycentric cultural framework model

摘要

The state of infrastructure and services is widely perceived as a measure of development and a major catalyst forudgrowth in both developed and developing economies. However, financing, maintaining and replicating existingudinfrastructures in areas of need have been mostly ineffective. In view of the widespread failures and poor state ofudinfrastructure and services, there is a need to review current delivery and procurement frameworks. Given thatudsustainable infrastructure is also an essential prerequisite for sustainable development, this paper presents audpolycentric cultural framework for infrastructure and service delivery; a framework which emphasises the integrationudof infrastructure users, communities, public and private sectors throughout the process of conceptualisation to actualuddelivery of infrastructure, by taking the recipients’ culture, beliefs and values into account. The framework alsoudemphasises the use of systemic referendum among stakeholders by way of the traditional consultative processes andudthe collaborative consensus paradigm to achieve an effective and sustainable delivery of infrastructure and services.