The potential benefits of public capital investments are of two sorts -- market benefits and "quality of life" benefits.
In 1999, federal, state, and local governments together spent nearly $250 billion on nondefense infrastructure ranging from computers for office workers to land for new streets. Given this substantial public capital investment, it seems worthwhile to consider what effect it might have on national well-being, especially in metropolitan areas, where most Americans live and work. Perhaps surprisingly, there is little academic consensus on this fundamental question, despite more than a decade of close scrutiny. Andrew F. Haughwout is an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and assistant professor of public and international affairs at Princeton University. The view expressed here are the author's, not necessarily those of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York or the Federal Reserve System.
Thanks to Chris Steins
FULL STORY: The Paradox of Infrasructure Investment

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

Platform Pilsner: Vancouver Transit Agency Releases... a Beer?
TransLink will receive a portion of every sale of the four-pack.

Toronto Weighs Cheaper Transit, Parking Hikes for Major Events
Special event rates would take effect during large festivals, sports games and concerts to ‘discourage driving, manage congestion and free up space for transit.”

Berlin to Consider Car-Free Zone Larger Than Manhattan
The area bound by the 22-mile Ringbahn would still allow 12 uses of a private automobile per year per person, and several other exemptions.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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Planning for Universal Design
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