Project Report
Arctic transportation futures are at a crossroads. Increasing global connectivity, climate change, geopolitical tensions, tourism, and resource extraction are reshaping mobility and access across the region. At the same time, Northern communities depend on transportation systems that are essential to sustain local livelihoods and cultural practices, yet these systems have historically served external interests more than local priorities. Against this backdrop, the workshop “Arctic Transportation Futures: Reconciling Local Needs and Global Drivers” brought together researchers, planners, Indigenous representatives, policymakers, and private-sector actors to reflect on what sustainable and inclusive Arctic transport infrastructure and mobility should look like.
The discussions made evident: Arctic transportation infrastructures are both essential and contested. They serve as lifelines for mobility, food security, healthcare access, cultural practices, and economic activity, yet are increasingly shaped by military, economic, and geopolitical agendas from outside the region. These different roles of TIs create tensions and complicate efforts to pursue transport planning that genuinely reflects local needs. While some infrastructure projects bring benefits, others disrupt livelihoods or introduce new risks, highlighting the need for approaches that prioritize communities alongside broader national and global interests.
Participants emphasized that future Arctic transportation systems (ATS) must, above all, benefit local communities. Achieving this requires meaningful engagement with the people who depend on these systems most. Indigenous and local stakeholders repeatedly stressed that they want to be involved from the earliest stages of planning and not just merely consulted once decisions are (nearly) made. Co-creation, transparency, and shared decision-making were identified as essential elements for trust-building. The group agreed that informed consent should be pursued through ongoing dialogue, especially in situations where interests diverge or conflicts emerge.
A second shared concern related to the cumulative impacts of transportation infrastructures. Roads, ports, runways, and shipping lanes have long-term consequences that extend well beyond construction phases. Participants called for better monitoring of environmental and social effects, including those that become visible only years after a project is completed. These impacts range from habitat fragmentation and permafrost degradation to disruptions of traditional travel routes and community logistics. Because these effects accumulate, the group stressed the importance of mechanisms that allow local governments and developers to respond to emerging problems beyond simply documenting them.
The workshop also highlighted the need for stronger international and regional collaboration. Many Arctic transport challenges transcend borders: search and rescue (SAR) operations, emergency preparedness, tourism flows, and cross-border road and aviation networks require coordinated planning. Participants agreed that international cooperation should generate mutual benefits for Arctic states but must not disadvantage local communities or undermine Indigenous rights. Regional planning bodies and science organizations were encouraged to strengthen information exchange and develop shared strategies.
Economic development, especially tourism, was another central topic. Tourism growth illustrates the interconnectedness of Arctic infrastructures: expanded flight routes or shipping access alone are insufficient if communities lack adequate housing, services, or workforce support. Participants noted that from a local perspective, ATS must enhance supply security and improve the resilience of logistics systems. In other words, transportation planning should be grounded in what communities need to maintain reliable access to goods, services, and opportunities, not only in what enables external markets to expand.
Throughout the workshop, the importance of transdisciplinary collaboration was clear. Arctic transportation draws on a wide range of disciplines, including planning and engineering, social and environmental sciences, policy and political studies, as well as Indigenous knowledge systems and community-based expertise. Participants called for more spaces where these different knowledge holders can meet on equal terms. Strengthening the relationship between science and society—through open communication, transparent data sharing, and accessible research outputs—was identified as a precondition for sustainable transport futures. Trust, they emphasized, is not created through a single meeting but through continuous engagement.
The workshop ultimately delivered a strong message to the ICARP IV process and to the broader Arctic research community: the future of Arctic transportation research must be shaped with, not merely about, Arctic communities. Global drivers will continue to influence mobility in the North, but local priorities must be at the center. By integrating diverse voices and acknowledging both shared and region-specific challenges, the workshop offered direction for more inclusive, responsible, and forward-looking transportation planning.
Further details on the InfraNorth project and its activities are publicly available on the InfraNorth website, including a workshop statement and short video of the workshop. The outcomes of this workshop contribute to ongoing ICARP IV efforts to define priorities for the next decade of Arctic research, emphasizing that transportation reveals how deeply environmental, political, and social changes intersect in the circumpolar North.
Bringing together people from different regions and a variety of stakeholders revealed that the future of sustainable Arctic transport could be improved by our ability to listen across sectors, borders and knowledge systems. Only through this collective effort can transport systems support the resilience, well-being and self-determined futures of Arctic communities.
Additional Material: InfraNorth Workshop. Arctic Transportation Futures Report
Highlights:
- Arctic transportation systems (ATS) are shaped by global forces, such as climate change, geopolitics, economic interests, while remaining vital lifelines for Northern communities. Understanding this duality is essential for designing transport futures that balance strategic international demands with everyday mobility, cultural practices, and wellbeing of Arctic residents.
- The workshop emphasized that ATS create cumulative social and environmental impacts that extend beyond construction phases. Systematic monitoring, transparent governance, and mechanisms to address unintended consequences are needed to ensure that transportation infrastructures support long-term sustainability while minimizing ecological disruption and social inequities.
- Meaningful involvement of Indigenous and local stakeholders emerged as a core requirement for future ATS research and planning. Co-creation of knowledge, cross-border collaboration, and science–society dialogue can strengthen trust and generate more inclusive, responsive, and resilient transport systems across the circumpolar North
Date and Location
25 September 2025 | Vienna, Austria
IASC Working Groups funding the project
- Cryosphere WG
- Social & Human WG
Project Lead
Peter Schweitzer (University of Vienna, Austria)
Year funded by IASC
2025