The transition to low-carbon and more sustainable development internationally, as well as the strong growth in population and urbanisation in emerging markets, represent large challenges and strong demand for quality infrastructure (estimated to be in the trillions of dollars over the next 10 to 20 years). In 2008, for the first time ever, there are now more people living in cities than not. The need for energy, transportation, water and waste management is rapidly outstripping supply. In the face of scarce resources and growing emissions, sustainable infrastructure is the only alternative.

Real estate has become intrinsically intertwined with infrastructure. Especially at the level of community and city planning, infrastructure is a vital component of success. Early planning and holistic approaches (e.g. combining waste, electricity generation and heating) are key to successful projects. Similarly, stand-alone sustainable infrastructure projects (e.g. wind farms) are emerging as attractive investment cases.

Maxmakers has extensive expertise in planning infrastructure components for complex developments. Our work for flagship projects such as Masdar City has provided us with valuable insights into the cutting edge of sustainable infrastructure systems.