Infrastructure projects
Research Topic
Language: English
This is a research topic created to provide authors with a place to attach new problem publications.
Research problems linked to this topic
- What are the key considerations for sustainable (all three pillars) and lawful deployment of pavement robots?
- What are safe speed profiles for trains that optimise capacity, comfort, and energy efficiency?
- What needs to be true of demand modelling for the estimates produced to capture long run changes in demand for road schemes that may change the spatial distribution of economic activity? To what extent do estimates from conventional user benefits approximate the total welfare impacts of transport schemes on users, considering the impacts of changing land use?
- What are the key factors that influence a supplier’s decision to include or exclude premises in area build plans? Are there ways to predict or model this behaviour within an area?
- What are the risks of avoiding early adoption of quantum technologies in UK transport?
- What are functional and operations performance and training requirements for remote-control/operation centre/station - with a focus on Human Element?
- What are the infrastructure, airspace, regulatory and skills requirements for the UK space industry and what are the impacts of existing government interventions?
- What evidence is there of the value of Government or transport operator investment in transport data assets or data projects?
- How important is rail coverage versus road coverage, and are there industry targets to provide improved rail coverage?
- How does the mobile network landscape differ by quality and capacity across the UK for rural and urban areas? Additionally, how does this differ for transport specific contexts?
- How have other countries delivered gigabit connectivity in difficult areas? This includes (i) urban areas, such as cobble streets, (ii) and rural areas characterised by difficult terrain or where existing infrastructure is lacking?
- How do delays to delivery impact: (i) the organisation delivering the network(ii) other actors in the telecom market (iii) the premises being delivered to (business and residential)? How does this impact vary based on the length of delay?
- How best can local context be incorporated into data received to understand how local events and human and natural geographical features of the area affect the speed of build and risks of delivery?
- What are the barriers to delivery of full mobile coverage across the UK? What possible solutions exist to these barriers?
- To what extent can efficiency in maintenance be gained by utilising existing public sector resources and assets to preserve or maintain our networks?
- To what extent are the decisions being made by network suppliers in where to build equitable both at the beginning of and during delivery (specifically considering the impact of descoping premises from delivery)?
- How will the mobile market be affected by reaching 95% coverage of the UK and increasing competitiveness across regions of the UK by 2030?
- How are approaches to delivery differing across regions in the UK and are different approaches needed to aid later delivery?
- To what extent are the networks being built adding to the resilience of national infrastructure?
- To what extent is overbuild an issue within the market and what characteristics make it a more or less favourable delivery decision for suppliers?
- What are the factors which lead to urban premises not having FTTP connectivity?
- How would future market consolidation impact connectivity for businesses, public sector organisations and residential premises on different networks? What recommendations should be made to the UK government to prepare for these scenarios?
- To what extent are network providers effectively planning their networks to ensure delays and additional cost are avoided?
- How important is transport to trade flows? How might international trade evolve and how might this affect our transport network requirements?
- How are/should place-based programmes focus on improving active and sustainable travel infrastructure to improve town centres?
- What is needed to ensure that the asset base is robust enough to reduce the
- Given the known effects that hydrogen can have on materials how can the long-term performance of hydrogen infrastructure be assured?
- What factors, if any, may prevent households with private driveways installing home chargers?
- How can we support enhanced access to public transport, shared mobility, and active travel in rural areas?
- How can we develop a more detailed understanding of the benefits that modernising UK airspace will bring, including carbon reductions, noise impacts, reduced delays, increased resilience, and increased capacity to allow for growth?
- Where are the skills and capabilities missing within the infrastructure construction and maintenance industry to effectively conserve and enhance biodiversity and implement biodiversity net gain?
- How do network providers, internet service providers and mobile connectivity providers plan and consider the risks of climate change within the UK to the longevity of infrastructure? Are their considerations and plans sufficient for the expected extent of climate change?
- How can we robustly model and value changes in land-use arising from transport interventions?
- How can the social and economic disparities from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic be mitigated through transport investment schemes?
- What approach should central Government take to best manage and organise road freight / logistics in the UK to make it more efficient, resilient and reduce its environmental impact and what would be its likely impact on costs and competition in the supply chain?
- What are the infrastructure, airspace, regulatory and skills requirements for the emerging aviation technologies and what are the impacts of existing government interventions?
- What is the evidence of the emerging use and impact of novel/real time data sources to address transport issues at local or national levels, such as decarbonisation and levelling up?
- What tools can we best use to reflect Levelling Up objectives within transport appraisal: for example, improved data visualisation, local prosperity metrics, place-based analysis, or distributional weights.
- What are the enablers of building and maintaining an integrated local transport system? How does this benefit local communities?
- What is the relationship between transport improvements and local economic growth?
- What role can transport play in levelling up left-behind places in the context of changing travel/commuting patterns?
- What conditions need to be in place for transport investments to transform local economies? These conditions may relate to demographic factors, complementary investments, or government policies for example. What are the micro mechanisms that underpin how workers move across space due to better transport connections?
- What are the opportunities and risks presented by Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), including its role in supporting greater energy efficiency in future?
- Should there be specific parking/waiting/docking areas for micro goods vehicles?
- What are the most effective interventions governments can implement to increase housing supply where most needed?
- What are the key drivers of housing affordability? And what is the role of housing supply within these?
- To what extent is housing tenure (e.g. social rented, private rented, home ownership etc) driven by choice? What drives people’s choices? For example, is private renting seen as a ‘stepping-stone’ to home ownership? And how does this vary across different geographical areas?
- How can housing help to mitigate COVID-19 impacts over the longer term?
- What is the role of commercial property development in supporting growth in places? And what does the evidence suggest about how this may change going forward?
- How does well-being matter in the context of levelling up? What are the most effective levers for government (central and local) to affect well-being? How does well-being interact with other place based interventions such as housing and regeneration?
- What is the evidence that culture-led regeneration is effective?
- What does the evidence show about how the pandemic has affected people’s preferences about where they live and where they are able to work (e.g. rural areas versus cities)? How are these preferences different across cohorts, such as socio-economic, and locations? Are any such trends likely to be long-term?
- How can government finance regeneration and recycle the benefits to reduce the costs to taxpayers?
- To what extent, and how, can regeneration drive productivity, including the contribution from physical and broader regeneration initiatives?
- What are the international examples of effective interventions to regenerate town centres and cities? What does this show us about the roles of the public and private sectors, the type of investment required, and in different contexts?
- What are the spatial drivers and distribution of R&D activity? Within that, what are the relevant roles of infrastructure, excellence and capacity?
- What are the needs of road users, and how can existing and new traffic systems be utilised/ developed to respond to these needs?
- To what extent have investments in buildings/infrastructure (new buildings, expansion/maintenance or repurposing for cultural use) led to social and economic regeneration of an area?
- Analyse and explain the prerequisite conditions for effective cultural investment in place, for example leadership, infrastructure and long-term strategy.
- To what extent does the distance from and/or density of AHT assets determine engagement rates among specific groups? What does this mean for public investment into AHT infrastructure?
- What are the connectivity performance and protection requirements in ports and on sea? Can there be specific international connectivity corridors?
- What will be the impact on maritime and shipping infrastructure, skills and careers as international trade evolves? What are the opportunities for UK costal shipping?
- How will new and emerging technology assist in the operation, maintenance, and renewal of the Strategic Road Network?
- How will new and emerging technology change travel patterns and demand on the Strategic Road Network?
- What are the key priorities for increasing rail resilience, including freight and supply chains?
- What are the economic and societal impacts of potential lower service levels?
- How can we use digital twins to increase resilience, responsiveness, and integration of our network (cross modally)?
- How do new or improved rail services and stations affect employment, numbers of businesses, and property prices? What are the impacts of new or improved rail services for towns and smaller cities?
- How should the way airports slots be allocated be reformed to make more efficient use of constrained airport capacity and support achievement of the Government’s wider objectives?
- What requirements should apply to navigation bridge sensors and controls for use in MASS, in particular human and machine interfaces, update rates, and data representation?
- What communication standards between vessels and infrastructure need to be standardised?
- How do surveyors and inspectors interact with MASS whether through Port State Control or regular survey?
- How does access to a gigabit connection affect CO2eq emissions for; (i) household, (ii) a business, (iii) a public sector organisation?
- How long does it take for the CO2eq emissions from the production, shipping, installation and use of fibre to result in a net emission saving overuse of copper?
- What are some of the barriers local authorities experience in using gigabit connectivity and extracting the most value from digitally harmonised services?
- What is the current forecast of non-fibre based technology (including anything capable of delivering speeds above superfast but below gigabit[30Mbps - 1Gbps], or speeds which exceeds gigabit [>1Gbps]) and its role in delivering broadband connectivity to homes and businesses where fibre is not feasible? What is the lifespan and redundancies of these technologies?
- What are the barriers to delivery of fibre-to-the-premises across the UK? What possible solutions exist to these barriers?
- What other factors beyond cost to build affect the commerciality of a premise? And how may this change up to 2030?
- What are some of the supply chain issues and risks associated with fibre deployment in the next 10 years? To what extent is the UK able to self-sufficiently, domestically produce, fibre and ducting for the needs of the market and to what extent is it reliant on imports?
- What is the best way(s) to solve the issue of electric vehicle charging for those without off-street provision?
- What is the user experience of charging infrastructure (and how does this interact with the decision to opt for an EV)? What are the social and distributional issues around access to charging?
- What are the skills, capabilities, and knowledge gaps within the transport infrastructure industry to effectively implement adaptation to climate change now and in the future?
- How can throughput of goods and people be increased cost-effectively through transport security systems?
- What are the possible costs and benefits to urban tram solutions?
- What is the necessary port infrastructure needed for the safe operation of MASS in Smart Ports and as part of a multi-modal transportation chain? For example, sensor validation and docking.
- To what extent do we have evidence on the impacts of transport investment on specific areas such as the spatial distribution of productivity or social mobility and inclusion?
- How do standards in appraisal and modelling practices of road schemes in the UK compared to international practices?
- How should the lifespan of a new road enhancement be measured?
- How will new and emerging technology assist in reducing construction costs for road schemes?
- What are the wider economic benefits of rail travel to urban centres?
- What are the opportunities for improving cost efficiencies and enhancing financial sustainability of rail?
- How can transport investment release additional land for housing and deliver wider economic benefits?
- How does the capability and capacity of Local Transport Authorities influence the delivery of transport policy developed by central government?
- How can we best develop the uncertainty tools and products referenced in the Uncertainty Toolkit? These will primarily be publication of the common analytical scenarios in TEMPro, the revision of TAG Unit M4 and improving future proofing decision making processes and their guidance across the department.
- What safety-related interventions work most effectively and reliably to change industry behaviours, norms, and culture?
- What is the operational efficiency of the current Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) planning regime and how can it be improved?
- Is the housebuilding market more concentrated/less intensely competitive than other markets? How has this changed over time, and how does the UK compare in this respect with other countries? What are the implications of this?
- How might the COVID-19 pandemic affect homelessness and rough sleeping in the longer term?
- What emerging evidence is there about the future housing market in a post-pandemic world? And how will net zero carbon emission homes affect this?
- How is the strategic regeneration of large areas best managed over the long term?
- More generally, what international evidence could be relevant to inform decisions in the UK?