A Systematic Literature Review of Infrastructure Governance: Cross-sectoral Lessons for Transformative Governance Approaches

Abstract

Infrastructure governance has emerged as a subject of critical interest in the current ‘infrastructure turn’ whereby fragmented governance approaches sit in tension with complex demands for infrastructure transformations within contexts of multiple intersecting crises. To understand the state of the literature and inform ongoing debates, a systematic review method is used to interrogate a large body of infrastructure governance literature across sectoral boundaries. This review identifies a range of literature gaps prevailing in the areas of infrastructure governance on unceded First Nations land, the societal end goals of infrastructure, and understandings and applications of integrated governance.

TVA and the Grass Roots at 75: The Legacy of a Planning Classic

“…Skuzinski, Weinreich, and Hernandez (2022) developed the concept of governance topology (based on polycentricity and fragmentation) and illustrated it for transit systems in the Chicagoland region to enable future statistical analysis of how governance affects public infrastructure efficiency, equity, and effectiveness. And Clements et al (2023) reviewed the literature on infrastructure governance to find that it emphasized ‘integration’ and neglected ‘societal end goals… regarding sustainability, equity and justice, and public interests’ (p. 80). We were not able to identify studies directly examining planning institutions’ impacts on democracy and equity.…”