Planetizen managing editor Jonathan Nettler recently spoke with Steven Anderson, founder and managing director of InfrastructureUSA, about the country's infrastructure challenges and how local communities are finding creative ways to solve them.
With the United States' overdue infrastructure tab approaching $2.3 trillion, or more, over the next decade to modernize the country's aging transportation, energy, and water infrastructure, Nettler spoke about the reasons he perceives such issues are not getting addressed and fail to get the attention they deserve:
"one challenge is that, with infrastructure, is that itʼs unseen. Itʼs something that, until thereʼs a real crisis...people assume that the people that theyʼve elected and the people theyʼre paying their taxes to are handling these problems. I think the other issue is that, certainly today, itʼs incredibly difficult to marshal the resources to tackle these issues and to get the political will behind spending money."
And on the ways in which localities are working to address their infrastructure challenges:
"what cities across the country are realizing -- you see this in Los Angeles with the "Measure R" funding, which is entirely locally funding for transit improvements; you see this recently in Chicago just last week with Mayor Emmanuelʼs announcement -- is that cities and localities are realizing that to tackle these urgent issues, theyʼre going to have to take matters into their own hands and really move beyond reliance on leadership and funding from the federal level because things just arenʼt getting done and these problems continue to get worse."
FULL STORY: Guest on The Infra Blog: Jonathan Nettler, AICP, Managing Editor, Planetizen

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

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.

Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts
Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.

Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement
An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions