Going back to Robert Moses, New York City has a history of underestimating the price of major construction projects. Inflated infrastructure costs are prompting stakeholders to seek out root causes.
Compared to the costs of similar infrastructure in other major cities, the astronomical prices of NYC transit builds are puzzling.
In an article for Capital New York, Dana Rubinstein writes, "How New York City's megaprojects compare in cost to those in similarly developed countries around the world is a question that is, somehow, very rarely studied."
Of course, New York is hardly the only city where politics leads to optimistic cost estimates. "A widely cited Danish study from 2002 found that, worldwide, '[u]nderestimation of costs at the time of decision to build is the rule rather than the exception for transportation infrastructure projects.'"
But New York is exceptional in the degree of the problem and its regularity. During his 2011 mayoral campaign, city comptroller Scott Stringer put it succinctly: "We cannot build a 21st-century city and compete globally if we continue to spend five, even seven times as much on construction projects as compared to our competitors."
FULL STORY: Where the transit-build costs are unbelievable
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
LA's Top Parks, Ranked
TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
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.