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Abundance directors Keir Milburn and Bertie Russell were recently commissioned by United Cities and Local Government, a global network of 240,000 local and regional governments, to contribute to their latest research project known as GOLD VII into economies of equality and care. In their contribution Milburn and Russell argue for the development of careful infrastructures: socio-technical systems that incorporate both physical assets (the what) and social relationships (the who) with a focus on questions of how we might live well. It provides the example of Public-Common Partnerships (PCPs) as one example of a careful infrastructure.
Local governments can play a leadership role in their development through establishing Careful Infrastructure Commissions (CICs). The report outlines five priorities for their work:
Mapping the status of assets;
Developing clear understanding and guidance for asset transfers;
Defining and innovating with existing corporate models;
Understanding the relevant technical and social base;
Exploring different approaches to social evaluation.
The report uses the example of the pharmaceutical industry to explore the potential for PCPs but emphasizes the applicability of the model in a wide range of sectors.