Expert Voices 2017: America's Urban Infrastructure

In light of President Trump's comments about infrastructure in his inaugural address and during the campaign, Penn IUR asked its urban experts to respond to the question: What should the United States do about urban infrastructure?

2 minute read

January 26, 2017, 6:00 AM PST

By dlang


In his inauguration speech, President Trump characterized America's infrastructure as having “fallen into disrepair and decay” and promised to “build new roads, and highways, and bridges, and airports, and tunnels, and railways.” Similarly, over the course of the presidential campaign, Trump vowed to develop "the next generation" of American infrastructure and "send new skyscrapers soaring."

We asked more than a dozen urban experts: In your view, what should the United States do about urban infrastructure?

Their answers point to the importance and complexity of infrastructure’s place in urban development and policy. Our experts discuss everything from financing and re-prioritizing infrastructure investments to infrastructure’s role in distressed areas. They consider the 21st century definition of infrastructure and what it means for infrastructure investments to be inclusive, environmentally sound and evidence-based. Together, these reflections show the magnitude of infrastructure’s potential role in the coming years, both in terms of its promise and its challenges.

Eugenie Birch and Susan Wachter, Co-Directors, Penn Institute for Urban Research

Contributors: Infrastructure and Distressed Areas | Timothy J. Bartik
Infrastructure Investment Must Benefit All | Angela Glover Blackwell
Transportation in Inclusive Economic Development | Paul C. Brophy
Invest in the Public Realm | Peter Hendee Brown
Infrastructure Spending to Greatness? | Gilles Duranton
Financing Urban Infrastructure | Erick Guerra
Re-prioritizing Federal Infrastructure Investments | John D. Landis
Water and the Nation’s Infrastructure | Howard Neukrug
Utilizing Environmental Intelligence in Infrastructure Planning | Jeremy Nowak
Consider Infrastructure’s Optimal Use | Megan Ryerson
Multi-tasking Infrastructures | Saskia Sassen
Infrastructure: Make It Green | Frederick Steiner
Pursuing Evidence-based Infrastructure Objectives | Sarah Rosen Wartell
Historical Patterns of Infrastructure Funding | Dick Voith
Financing America’s Infrastructure Needs | Robert Yaro
Improved Infrastructure Must Include Affordable Housing | Mark Zandi

Wednesday, January 25, 2017 in Penn IUR Urban Link

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight