Infrastructure forms the backbone of our society – from roads and railways to waterworks and ports. But that backbone is under strain. Ageing systems, climate change and scarce resources force us to rethink fundamentally how we design, use and value infrastructure.

This Design Guide starts from one urgent question: how can we make infrastructure future-proof in a world of uncertainty? Drawing on years of expertise at the renowned TU Delft, the book introduces an integrated approach in which design, engineering, policy and societal value come together.

Through a wide range of inspiring examples – including the Oosterscheldekering storm surge barrier, the redevelopment of the Delft Spoorzone, the renewal of the Afsluitdijk, the Terneuzen lock and the Dutch-Flemish port system – the book demonstrates how infrastructure can be more than merely a functional system. It becomes a driver of societal value and prosperity, and a strategic instrument that connects quality of life, sustainability and economic development.

This Design Guide offers a clear conceptual framework and a practical methodology to design infrastructure that is not only more efficient, but also more sustainable, inclusive and meaningful. A substantial and indispensable guide for designers, engineers and policymakers committed to shaping the infrastructure and the society of tomorrow.