Infrastructure Costs

Worker performing maintenance work on the Brooklyn Bridge, New York City

Why Infrastructure Costs So Much

A new book details what planners already know: cost estimates for major infrastructure projects are usually a farce. Another book foretells just how much new infrastructure will be needed in the coming waves of climate migration.

April 14, 2023 - California Planning & Development Report

British Columbia

How Much Will That Infrastructure Really Cost?

A new tool developed in British Columbia calculates the cost of infrastructure over the entire life cycle of the project.

February 26, 2023 - Strong Towns

Numerous trains are lined up at the Hudson Yards train depot with the fancy architecture of Hudson Yards in the background.

More Delays, Billions for the Northeast Corridor’s Gateway Program

Considered by some to be the most critical infrastructure project in the country, the Gateway Project is an ongoing example of the extreme costs of bureaucratic and political neglect.

September 6, 2022 - The New York Times

New York Subway

Why New York's Transportation Infrastructure Costs So Much

It's been remarked upon before. Infrastructure in New York City is a cost nightmare compared to other global cities. Accountability is lacking, Josh Barro writes, but MTA also suffers from an "institutional lack of power."

May 31, 2019 - Intelligencer - New York Magazine

Rain On Pavement

Detroit Drainage Fees Are Hitting Residents Hard

The city says the increased fees that many people are seeing reflect a more equitable billing system, but residents argue the charges are unfair.

March 22, 2019 - Bridge

Second Avenue Subway

Opening on January 1: The Most Expensive Subway Ever Built

There will be a lot of hoopla when the Second Avenue Subway opens in Manhattan on the first day of 2017. Some writers are making sure that one important detail isn't getting lost in the celebration.

December 29, 2016 - Business Insider

Arizona Suburb

Study: Sprawl Costs the U.S. Economy $1 Trillion Annually

A major new study estimates that sprawl costs the U.S. economy more than a trillion dollars annually, and results, in part, from planning and market distortions. Smart policy reforms can result in more efficient and equitable development.

March 19, 2015 - New Climate Economy

McMansions

Does America Still Want Sprawl?

Increased awareness of sprawl’s negative effects has not led to a drop-off in its construction. Developers say they only build what the market demands.

March 2, 2015 - The Atlantic

The Disproportionate Costs of Resort Developments

A new report out of Oregon suggests that the fiscal costs of successful resort developments significantly outweigh their benefits -- and taxpayers are burdened with the tab. Erik Kancler of Central Oregon LandWatch explains.

April 16, 2009 - Erik Kancler

Time for Change? Skip the Change, I’ll Take Dollars!

I’ve been torn lately between two contradictory perspectives on the state of the country as it relates to providing transportation infrastructure and service.

April 16, 2008 - Steven Polzin

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