The Hidden Cost of Concrete: Rethinking Infrastructure Value Management

The Hidden Cost of Concrete

The Nairobi Expressway is a sleek grey ribbon of asphalt that slices through the city’s historic green lungs. While it promises speed for the affluent, it creates a physical and economic barrier for the thousands living in its shadow. The asphalt does not merely carry cars; it carries the weight of political decisions that will last for generations.

Traditional building projects prioritise three rigid metrics: time, cost, and quality. This narrow focus often ignores how hidden power dynamics shape who wins and who loses when the concrete is poured. Current methods frequently fail to account for the social friction and ecological loss that follow large-scale construction.

Applying Infrastructure Value Management

Researchers analysed the Nairobi project through a political ecology lens, identifying four ways value is distorted:

• Enclosure: Privatising public space through tolls that concentrate wealth among private actors.
• Exclusion: Marginalising local communities through tokenistic consultations that offer no real influence.
• Encroachment: Externalising environmental costs by eroding urban forests and vital ecosystem services.
• Entrenchment: Reinforcing class divides by privileging affluent commuters over the walking public.

The study suggests that measuring stakeholder agency and vulnerability is as vital as measuring concrete depth. By integrating these power dynamics into the initial design, planners could organise projects that address climate change and social justice rather than just traffic flow. This shift suggests a future where infrastructure serves as a public good rather than a private asset.