Abstract This paper discusses three major issues identified from the 29 papers accepted for the session entitled ‘Infrastructure for the City and its Regions', part of the 10th Congress of the International Association of Engineering Geology and the Environment (IAEG). These three issues are of significant importance to the owners and operators of infrastructure worldwide in terms of both the management of existing networks and the planning of future projects. They can be summarized as: (1) risk mitigation with respect to site investigation, feasibility and route selection; (2) the strategic management of existing infrastructure assets; (3) the protection of earthwork assets against future climatic change. Both (2) and (3) are discussed with reference to the UK rail network. The importance of historical records and research reported in the session is highlighted, and the example of strategic management of the largely Victorian railway tunnel network is discussed. Landslides and flooding are seen as the major risks affecting infrastructure earthwork assets in relation to climate change. The way in which risks to assets and public safety are currently assessed, given priority for repair, and managed is explored.