Rebuild with purpose: an affirmative vision for 21st century American infrastructure

by Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings

The complete report, which was published in April 2021, is available at https://www.brookings.edu/essay/american-infrastructure-vision/

Excerpt:

Infrastructure has always supported America’s economic competitiveness. Canals, railroads, and telegraph lines opened the country’s hinterland to global trade partners, brought money back to our shores, and attracted immigrants to chase their own opportunities. The engineering around paved roads, mass transit, telephone lines, managed water and electricity systems allowed our cities and towns to flourish as new types of housing, factories and offices grew around these physical systems. From rural farms to busy urban neighborhoods, infrastructure is our economic foundation.

Yet infrastructure design and construction do not move at the same pace all the time.