In Toronto, our work in the Port Lands Flood Protection project aims to re-naturalize the Don Valley River, safeguard downtown Toronto from increasing risks of flood, protect the natural environment and strengthen biodiversity, all the while creating a dynamic new urban neighbourhood. Technology and nature-based solutions have come together in this project where we designed and implemented several web-based applications to facilitate remote, real-time monitoring for immediate mitigation of environmental impacts.
Earlier you mentioned the importance of accelerated response from government and industries to support decarbonization. Can you elaborate on the response needed to drive further progress?
Eric Peissel: Infrastructure stakeholders need guidance and support from government to continuously act on opportunities to decarbonize and develop green infrastructure. Due to the recent economic environment, affordability is becoming a more acute issue. Governments need to assess funding priorities, address equitable distribution and provide clear decarbonization direction for industries. Since emissions reduction can be seen as competing with affordability, it’s important to dispel misperceptions and effectively communicate the positive steps taken so far, such as global climate investment and industry innovation. Many think decarbonization equates to higher cost; this is not the case as significant decarbonization can be achieved at a similar or reduced cost by challenging how we design and reuse materials and through creative use of materials. Understanding impactful decarbonization steps from the perspective of cost will help to accelerate action concerning emerging and existing opportunities.
As global population increases put more pressure on infrastructure requirements, decarbonization, affordability and developing climate-friendly infrastructure must be viewed as linked priorities.
What about response from infrastructure industry stakeholders?
Eric Peissel: With so many competing needs converging today, design and construction are at an inflection point, where both stakeholder groups are challenged to reshape how we plan, design and construct infrastructure assets; the need to change our standards and ways of working is clear, but it is a complex path that requires a whole-of-industry approach. Many, if not most stakeholders, realize that siloed ways of working are outdated, and they are experiencing shared improvements through digitalization. However, embedding these enhancements and carrying them forward for greater positive impact across the planning, design and construction stages of projects, into operational and maintenance, requires greater knowledge sharing and collaboration, which must be prioritized at the start of projects.
With infrastructure needs increasing around the world, how do you see technology driving productivity in design and construction?
Eric Peissel: Within the built environment, design and construction can benefit significantly from technology. We envision technology as a catalyst for the development of a connected site, to create a more cohesive, efficient and productive design and construction process by combining the efficiency of offsite modular construction and the power of digital technologies on-site. Modern methods of construction [MMC] not only holds the promise of cheaper and faster construction, but also allows for increased quality and less waste. This results in greener designs with less embedded carbon. Also, modular designs tend to be easier to rehabilitate during their lifecycle, making them more sustainable.
The connected site presents an opportunity to transform on-site assembly through connected machinery, a connected workforce and connected logistics. These enhancements will enable ongoing communication and data sharing among designers, engineers, contractors and other project stakeholders. The use of these technologies will also result in a safer and more productive site, something critical in an industry like construction where injury rates remain high.
Successful implementation of both established MMC and connected sites relies on the alignment of technological capabilities with industry needs as well as comprehensive workforce training.
While technology can enable greater efficiency, it can also present challenges for cities and communities. What are a few key challenges, and how is WSP addressing them?
Eric Peissel: Technology is transforming the way infrastructure is operated and maintained. As we connect more communities through digitalization of systems and services, we need to also apply advanced digital technologies to maintain safe and reliable transportation systems that are accessible to all people who want to use them.
However, we need to be very aware of the digital divide, which makes the use and adoption of technology more challenging for socially marginalized communities, and thereby potentially increasing inequality if we are not careful. As we integrate technology solutions, such as mobility as a service within the broader new mobility context, we need to be cognizant of technology literacy as not everyone has access to high-quality digital infrastructure.
Our clients are also finding technology a challenge as the increasing use of IoT sensors and systems results in massive amounts of data being collected. This information needs to be first digested and analyzed to deliver insights and knowledge to our clients. A big role for WSP will be to help our clients sift through the data in real-time or near real-time to get meaningful information to optimize transportation systems.
Emerging technologies such as advanced air mobility offer the opportunity to improve connectivity, reduce travel times and support safe and reliable transportation networks. However, these new modes of transportation require new legislative and regulatory frameworks—along with new infrastructure and adoption models to integrate them into cities.
Technology holds a lot of potential to improve the way we move, interact and engage with cities, but it also presents challenges that need to be addressed head-on through holistic approaches.
1 Global Climate Highlights, 2023, Copernicus Climate Change Service,- Close to 50% of days in 2023 were in excess of 1.5°C warmer than 1850-1900. The approach of the climate system toward the 1.5°C and 2°C limits of the Paris Agreement is usually discussed for temperatures that have been averaged globally and over each year of one or more decades.
2 “What you Need to Know About Nature-Based Solutions to Climate Change,” The World Bank, May 19, 2022.
3 A cloudburst is a sudden, intense rain event where an extreme amount of rain falls in a short amount of time. A cloudburst can cause flooding, often overwhelming the capacity of a city’s sewer system; it can also disrupt other critical infrastructure and damage property.
4 Green infrastructure projects combine gray infrastructure (engineered assets) with nature-based solutions to create hybrid systems that improve resilience to climate impacts, while also often resulting in environmental, economic and social co-benefits. Reference: Environmental and Energy Study Institute.
