Metropolitan region's make up a major part of the U.S. in terms of population and economic activity. Accordingly, the Brookings Institution was surprised to see how little of the government's first year stimulus package went to those areas.
Robert Puentes offers this analysis of the spending, including the recent TIGER grants from the Department of Transportation.
"Because our 100 largest metropolitan areas harbor two-thirds of our population and generate 75 percent of our gross domestic product, it makes sense to leverage that economic might when making infrastructure decisions. Metropolitan areas are agglomerations of innovation and human capital. Metros offer more sustainable development patterns, which are supported by a range of transportation and infrastructure choices. In that regard, metropolitan areas are also where 72 percent of the seaport tonnage arrives and departs; where 78 percent of our interstate miles are travelled; where 92 percent of air passengers and transit miles are ridden, and where 93 percent of rail passengers board.
So what do we know so far about the transportation recovery spending? Analyzing the latest Recovery.gov data we find that, overall, just 41 percent of the projects and 59 percent of the transportation spending occurred in the 100 largest metropolitan areas."
FULL STORY: TIGER’s Tale and Lessons for Stimulus Spending
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Stimulus Spreading Work to Otherwise Barren Field of Architecture
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Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
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California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
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Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
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New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley
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U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
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How Urban Form Impacts Housing Affordability
The way we design cities affects housing costs differently than you might think.
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