The key to improving the public’s perception of infrastructure: speaking their language

Talking to engineers and infrastructure professionals is generally easy. We focus on the detail.

We understand how the systems interconnect. We instinctively grasp why something must be designed, maintained or upgraded in a certain way.

But using the same explanation or language to communicate with a non-technical audience often misses the mark.

People not involved with our projects don’t necessarily want to know how we will dig a six metre deep trench, the size of the rebar or the specification for the concrete.

They are more interested to know if they will still be able to get to work, collect their children from school, or keep their business open during the works.

Remember that infrastructure is there to provide a service

This distinction became very clear early in my career.

I was sent to a local council meeting in Northern Ireland and in my preparation, I focused on the technical details.

I was ready to explain how we were replacing a bridge, its technical form and the performance of the materials that we were going to use. I was prepared to show them that I was a really switched on engineer.

But the councillors didn’t want to discuss any of that. They wanted to talk about the lady who could no longer get to her weekly bridge club because the road would be closed.

They weren’t interested in all the technical details of the construction – that was for engineers to worry about.

That was a crucial lesson: infrastructure exists to provide a service, and it’s the impact on that service that people care about most.

Non-technical communication in practice: climate change

The impacts of climate change on the resilience of infrastructure is a perfect test of our ability to communicate with non-technical audiences.

Telling the public that global temperatures are likely to rise by two degrees does not, on its own, create understanding. Or urgency.

But explain that two degrees of warming means more people are likely to someday find stinking flood water in their kitchens, and suddenly the consequences are relatable, immediate and clear.

People can picture the impacts. It helps them grasp that climate change is not an abstract future challenge. It’s a threat to homes, communities and lives today.

While our job as engineers is to model and understand the risks, we also need to articulate them in ways that helps people understand why maintenance, adaptation and resilience matter.

How engineers can communicate more effectively

Here are a few techniques I’ve learned from my experience working with government ministers, responding to flood emergencies, and public engagement on projects:

1. Use relatable comparisons

A major road had to be closed in the run-up to Christmas in Northern Ireland, and I was invited on the radio to talk about why it was necessary.

As part of the construction of a new dual carriageway, some large diameter pipes needed to be installed, and that meant excavating six metres deep into the ground.

But that’s not always easy to picture, particularly if you’re focussed on the negative impacts of the road closure.

So instead, I explained that I was average height, about two metres tall, and I asked the listeners to imagine that the hole was three David Porters deep.

This helped them to understand the depth of the hole and why for the safety of road users and the speed of construction, it was necessary to close the road.

2. Focus on the service, not the structure

Most people don’t want a lesson in structural mechanics.

They are more interested to know whether their bus will run on time, their home will flood, or their energy bills will rise. Focus on that.

3. Be honest about disruption

Trust is built when we’re upfront about the inconvenience a project will cause and clear about how we will mitigate it.

Most reasonable people understand that construction causes disruption, but giving them an insight into the plan, and then delivering it, will help reduce the potential for annoyance.

4. Listen as much as you speak

Good communication goes two ways.

Listening to the public, understanding their needs, and what stakeholders are concerned about can often reveal issues that calculations and models alone may not.

5. Remember the purpose of our profession

We build and maintain infrastructure to enable people and the planet to thrive.

Our communication should reflect that purpose. Most importantly, remember that it's people AND the planet.

Expertise is most useful when it’s understandable

Throughout my career, I’ve seen the power of our profession when we communicate well – with each other, with the public, and with decisionmakers.

Engineers have expertise that is essential to addressing the challenges ahead: net zero, climate change, and a growing demand being placed on ageing infrastructure. Our expertise is most useful when it is understood.

If we can speak more clearly and openly, we can help build a better world, where infrastructure is truly enabling people and the planet to thrive.