Infrastructure Economics and Policy
“The content is highly relevant right now. As countries worldwide are designing economic recovery and stimulus programs from the COVID-19 pandemic, the question of infrastructure has come—once again—to the forefront of policy discussions. The analysis and policy recommendations and lessons will be invaluable to developed and developing countries.”
— Ede Ijjasz-Vasquez, Former Regional Director of Sustainable Development, Africa, World Bank
Sustainably built and funded infrastructure is indispensable to resilient, equitable, and livable communities and regions worldwide. In this rare comparison of infrastructure across countries and sectors, leading international academics and practitioners consider the latest approaches to infrastructure policy, implementation, and finance. Chapters cover land value capture and other funding mechanisms; the role of infrastructure in urban form, economic performance, and quality of life, especially for disinvested communities; and other essential concepts, economic theories, and policy considerations.
The book presents evidence-based solutions and policy considerations for officials in government agencies and private companies that oversee infrastructure services; essential concepts and economic theories for students of infrastructure, planning, and public policy; and a current overview for policy-oriented lay readers.
About the Editors
José A. Gómez-Ibáñez is the Derek C. Bok Professor of Urban Planning and Public Policy Emeritus at Harvard University.
Zhi Liu is director of the China Program at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.
Reviews
“A marvelous collection of essays by many of our era’s leading thinkers about infrastructure investment, innovation, and regulation. At once authoritative, balanced, up to date, global in scope, and chock-full of fascinating detail, it will, I am confident, be the gold standard work in this field for years to come.”
— Alan Altshuler, Ruth and Frank Stanton Professor Emeritus in Urban Policy and Planning, Harvard Kennedy School
“This informative, timely book offers a rich array of insight: comparisons across sectors and countries, connection between policy ideas and implementation, and appraisal of noteworthy experiences.”
— Weiping Wu, Director of the M.S. Urban Planning program, Columbia University
“As the United States debates reinvesting in aging infrastructure, as China and other countries catapult ahead with next-generation domestic and international infrastructure projects, and as the changing climate reminds us that we design durable infrastructure systems for the uncertain future, not the past, there is no better resource for scholars and practitioners than this timely volume. Leading figures in infrastructure policy address challenges from measuring the economic impacts of major public works of the 20th century to the integration of today’s emerging, decentralized transportation and energy technologies, all under one big, fascinating tent.”
— Sheila Olmstead, Professor of Public Affairs, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin
“Infrastructure seems to be on everyone’s mind—in the United States, China, and around the world. Trillions of dollars here, trillions there. But what do we really know? The international focus helps untangle issues of economic impact, equity, financing, and innovation in a way that generates important insights. This book is an intellectual smorgasbord. It has something for everyone.”
— Daniel Sperling, Founding Director, Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis; Distinguished Blue Planet Prize Professor of Engineering and Environmental Science and Policy
“The Lincoln Institute's Infrastructure Economics and Policy speaks to the once-in-a-generation opportunity our nation currently faces to invest in impactful, innovative, equitable, and sustainable infrastructure. For those of us who are practitioners in the field, the book offers a thought-provoking and insightful analysis of infrastructure policy and practice and the challenges and opportunities governments face when making major infrastructure investments.”
— Polly Trottenberg, Transportation Practitioner and Policy Expert; former New York Transportation Commissioner