We’re skeptical that the bill will address the real and current infrastructure needs in our cities today—but the good news is, you can. And you can get started right now.
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The past proves that people tend to disregard the long-term costs of the plans they make, particularly if they reap the benefits and others pay the costs. We must become more sophisticated than this.
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A Studebaker factory once brought jobs to South Bend, IN, but what’s happened to the city (and its infrastructure) now that the factory has closed its doors?
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The recent failure of a Memphis bridge is costing millions every day. And there are 45,000 others like it in the U.S. that could suffer the same fate.
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The federal government pays the upfront costs for infrastructure, but the responsibility for its maintenance is yours. Forever.
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The story has been that we don’t spend enough on infrastructure. But what’s the whole truth?
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In an era in which so many people aspire to be the next Steve Jobs, who will channel their ambition in the pursuit of caretaking work?
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Over the last 40 years, the federal government’s share of spending on water infrastructure dropped from 63% to 9%. That means it’s up to local communities to figure out how to pay to repair or replace all that aging infrastructure.
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Think budget-busting infrastructure spending isn’t happening in YOUR city? Ask these two questions to find out.
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For decades, we’ve built like there was no tomorrow, prioritizing short-term growth over longterm stability, prosperity, and safety. Exhibit A: 20,000 high-risk dams that are emergencies waiting to happen.
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For years, you’ve been doing the work of building a stronger, more resilient, and more prosperous community. Members of Congress are noticing.
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Cities with far more street infrastructure than they can maintain are in triage mode, and are going to have to decide what to keep paved and what to walk away from. Even if they won’t admit it yet.
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If your community has a huge backlog of unfunded infrastructure maintenance — and it’s the rare one that doesn’t — there are some basic and obvious steps that need to be taken.
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Transportation for America has boldly laid out three key principles they say should govern federal transportation policy. That’s a great start. But here’s a fourth.
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My bedroom community’s streets are aging, and we recently learned that we need to double our pavement preservation spending to keep them from declining further. Here’s what we’re doing about it—and why the Strong Towns philosophy is instrumental for us.
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There are many ways for state and local governments to run hidden deficits, one of which is deferred maintenance. But it turns out there is a way to measure the extent to which local governments kick the maintenance can down the road.
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Spokane is an excellent illustration of a “soft default”. Like virtually every other city in the US, it is functionally insolvent, but functional insolvency rarely results in legal bankruptcy—just diminished services and deferred maintenance.
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