A city's infrastructure is made up of two elements: transport and services.

Efficient transport infrastructure minimizes pollution and creates a city that's accessible and easy to move around. It also enables a city to grow.

Over the last ten years initiatives such as Transport 21, the HGV Strategy, QBCs and Dublin Bikes have brought safer, cleaner and more efficient public transport to Dublin. Large capital projects such as the Port Tunnel, the Luas and the Samuel Beckett and Sean O'Casey bridges have reduced the use of private cars and made the city more accessible and connected.

In the years ahead we must further reduce the use of private cars and take advantage of public transport as a means of making Dublin more sustainable. That involves reducing carbon emissions and helping new neighbourhoods succeed by making them easy to get to, from and around.

Good services infrastructure minimises waste, enables people to recycle easily and ensures that wastewater is treated safely. It also promotes sustainable production of drinking water and can even reduce the effects of climate change hazards like flooding.

The city has benefitted from several new services plans in recent years including the Climate Change Strategy for Dublin 2008-12, the Water Services Plan, the City Major Emergency Plan and the Litter Management Plan.

The challenge for the future now lies in meeting an increasing demand for drinking water and wastewater treatment, reducing dependence on landfills and increasing recycling facilities. We must also encourage water conservation and extend flood risk assessment and management to combat increased flood risk.

Connecting & Sustaining the City's Infrastructure is about making substantial, sustainable progress towards these goals.