Build

Investing in America's Infrastructure

Sadek Wahba

• Publisher: Georgetown University Press
• Year: 2024
• Print ISBN: 9781647124960
• eBook ISBN: 9781647124977
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Infrastructure
• Index: Business

A bold plan for the United States to regain the lead in infrastructure development through privatization and public-private partnerships

America's infrastructure—its essential roads, bridges, ports, airports, power grids, and telecommunications systems—were once the pride of the nation and an example for the world. But now, after years of neglect and oversight, this infrastructure is crumbling and causing catastrophic changes in the US quality of life. Build seeks to explain how American infrastructure collapsed and what can be done to repair it.

In a series of colorful, rarely told cases, Build takes readers on a revealing tour behind the scenes of the successes and debacles of key infrastructure projects to show what works, why the United States has failed in recent decades to invest in infrastructure, and how the private sector can help revitalize the sector, spur job growth, and contribute to climate resilience.

Sadek Wahba examines the private origins of US infrastructure and the federally funded megaprojects that came after the New Deal, investigating the role the private sector can and should play in building infrastructure. By drawing comparisons with systems in the United Kingdom, France, India, and China, Wahba shows that while privatization and public-private partnerships cannot solve all infrastructure challenges, they are essential for closing funding gaps, overcoming political paralysis, and driving major infrastructure advances.

Build will appeal to readers interested in public finance, domestic policy, the role of the federal government, tax policy, and urban affairs.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Praise for Build
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Preface
• 1 The Case for a New Old Approach: The Challenges Facing US Infrastructure
• 2 From Boom to Bust: The History of Infrastructure Management
• 3 Plugging the Leaks: Municipal Waterworks and the Flint Water Crisis
• 4 Above and Beyond: Investing in Bridges and the Chicago Privatization Efforts
• 5 Surface Tension: Roads, Highways, and the Pennsylvania Turnpike
• 6 Taking Flight: Bringing US Airports Up to Speed from Missouri to Puerto Rico
• 7 Port of Origin: PANYNJ and the History and Methods of US Seaports
• 8 Port of Origin: PANYNJ and the History and Methods of US Seaports
• 9 Rebuilding America’S Infrastructure: This Time Should Be Different
• Acknowledgments
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index
• About the Author