Exploring key contributors to achieving sustainability in infrastructure projects : a critical review

Accelerating urbanization around the world has created an unprecedented demand for public infrastructure. Increasingly, governments around the world have been gaining finances through private sector capital, and utilizing such procurement methods as a vehicle for delivery. These procurement methods have the potential to gain efficiency, innovation and better Value for Money through pooling resources with the private sector while offering essential social and economic services to society. Meanwhile, the sustainability of all projects undertaken within the construction industry is progressively becoming more relevant. Importantly, infrastructure projects in the public sector have become more and more highly scrutinized on their sustainability. Previous studies ignored the facts that privately financed public infrastructure (PFPI) projects are substantially different from other construction projects mainly due to their long life cycle and resultant uncertainties and risks, and, subsequently, hold a distinct way of achieving sustainability goals and impacting on the interlinked human and built environment. Therefore, the achievement of overall sustainability and value-for-money in PFPI projects are hindered. This paper explores key factors contributing to the sustainability in PFPI projects. The findings will be utilized for a future research project to establish a particular way to facilitate the achievement of sustainability in public infrastructure projects.