Linking Infrastructure and Land Use

As we noted yesterday, Californians approved a record $40.1 billion in public infrastructure spending for highways, levees, schools and housing on Tuesday and re-elected Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

More than 600 participants at this week's ULI San Diego/Tijuana trends conference heard ULI's managing director of urban development and infrastructure, Richard Reinhard, explain that $1.6 trillion will be needed nationally over the next five years to mend the nation’s ailing infrastructure. Congested roads cause $63 billion in wasted time and fuel, emphasized Reinhard. He said if the bond issues pass, it is “nothing more than playing catch up; a great start, but much more to do.”

Reinhard said there has to be a linkage between infrastructure and land use and that ULI has undertaken a public infrastructure initiative to make that case. He cited seven major principles of infrastructure:

• Great infrastructure creates great cities.
• Design does matter; iconic infrastructure integrates with land.
• Infrastructure software is as important as hardware -- e.g., EZ Pass, water pricing policies, congestion charging.
• Government silos on infrastructure must be busted -- e.g., Massachusetts combined five agencies into one office.
• Traditional public funding is dwindling; the highway trust fund will be bankrupt between 2009 and 2012.
• Private markets are mobilizing to support infrastructure -- e.g., Mayor Daley in Chicago has privatized the Chicago skyway; Indiana has privatized its toll road.
• Leadership on infrastructure is rare and invaluable -- e.g., San Diego has $900 million in deferred maintenance on wastewater infrastructure.