Type: Policy

Built for purpose? Understanding people’s experiences of infrastructure assets and services

Date: 19 May 2026

The ICE’s new policy paper discusses people’s experiences of infrastructure from a diversity and inclusion perspective.

Infrastructure is at the centre of the way we live our lives.

Transport gets us to work, digital infrastructure connects us to friends and family across the globe, and the water out of our taps meets our basic needs.

But not everyone has the same experience and access.

The ICE’s latest paper looks at people’s experiences of infrastructure assets and services in Britain from a diversity and inclusion perspective.

It discusses the following key points:

The gap between design and delivery intent, and lived reality. The scoping paper discusses people’s experiences of infrastructure and the barriers many face.
The role of the infrastructure sector – including civil and infrastructure engineers – in embedding inclusivity and accessibility.
The implementation gap between the available guidance and best practice, and what is actually delivered in practice. There is an array of guidance available, but a lack of resourcing and prioritisation of its application.
Non-design and construction levers for change. The full project lifecycle offers opportunities to improve inclusivity and ensure that assets are informed by and benefit all that use them.

A new YouGov poll of Great Britain, commissioned by the ICE, lays out the breadth and depth of the issue*:

55% of British adults don’t think that the UK government cares about accessibility and inclusion when it comes to infrastructure planning and construction.
78% don’t feel that people like them are listened to when infrastructure is planned, funded and delivered in the UK.
Women, people with disabilities, those living in non-urban areas, older people and those with a lower household income were more likely to say they ‘don’t often’ or ‘never’ feel safe, confident or included when using transport infrastructure.

*All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,266 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 28 - 29 April 2026. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).