Q1.
Do you see other types of infrastructure around you like schools, colleges, training centres, hospitals, health centres, police stations, fire stations, courts, parks, libraries, community centres and so on? This is known as social infrastructure. How do you think it supports the wellbeing and development of communities and society?
Answer
Yes — and this is social infrastructure: the buildings and services that develop people, while physical infrastructure moves goods and people. Almost every locality has some of it. Around my own school there is a primary health centre, a police station, a public library and a park.
| Social infrastructure | What it does for the community |
|---|---|
| Schools, colleges, training centres | Give children literacy and skills, so they can take up better work later; training centres let adults learn a trade |
| Hospitals and health centres | Treat illness, give vaccinations and safe deliveries, so fewer working days and school days are lost |
| Police and fire stations | Keep people and property safe; a family that feels safe can work, study and travel freely |
| Courts | Settle disputes by law instead of by force, so agreements and property are secure |
| Parks and community centres | Give space for play, exercise, festivals and meetings — this is where a neighbourhood becomes a community |
| Libraries | Put books and information within reach of those who cannot buy them |
Why it happens: physical infrastructure improves the conditions people live in; social infrastructure improves the people themselves — their health, learning, safety and sense of belonging. The two need each other. A hospital is of little use if no road reaches it, and a fine highway means little to a child who has no school to travel to. Together they are what the chapter means by development.
Try this: Draw a rough map of one kilometre around your home. Mark every piece of physical infrastructure in one colour and every piece of social infrastructure in another. The colour that is missing tells you what your locality needs next.