Life cycle and technology change
 Better Placed: Better Look and Feel |  Future Transport: Customer Focused |
Considering the full life cycle of a project – including its maintenance cycle – is an important aspect of ensuring the long-term attractiveness of places – from materials selection and the cleaning regime through to scheduled maintenance and replacement of assets at the end of their design life.
Maintenance of green infrastructure requires the same consideration, such as programming the succession planting of trees to mitigate against sudden changes to the tree canopy cover at the end of a species’ lifespan.
Good design can be inconspicuous – it anticipates the user and their needs both current and in the foreseeable future. Transport projects should anticipate emerging future technology and cater for adaptation. In the case of interchanges (i.e. changing from one mode to another), projects need to provide a good basic environment that connects people from node to node and enable users to engage with the place if they choose to, as part of a seamless experience.
Key questions
- Is the amount of street space available for lingering increased or access to off-street public space improved?
- Has maintenance of all elements of the project been considered? What governance or programs are in place to ensure design integrity during the relevant asset’s life? Has future technology been considered? Is the project fit for the future? Does the design support emerging technology such as electric bicycles or electric vehicle charging?
