Updated April 27, 2012
President Obama listed infrastructure as one of the key investments to the United State's long-term economic growth and its ability to be a world leader. However, by some estimates from 2006 and 2007 data, the U.S. government expenditure on infrastructure recently dropped to about 2.4% of its GDP, while Europe spends 5% of its GDP and China spends about 9% of its GDP in this sector.
Infrastructure Research Links are divided into 7 sections: News; Data, Polls, and Surveys; U.S. Government Departments and Initiatives; Laws, Standards, and Taxes; Non-governmental Organizations and Initiatives; Infrastructure and the Economy; Infrastructure and National Security.
Topics include transportation, water, economic competitiveness, technology, energy, improving quality of life, national infrastructure bank; includes quotations and facts sections; from "a bipartisan coalition of elected officials."
"Nonpartisan reporting on the inner workings of Congress and the nexus of politics and business." infrastructure news page and transportation-specific blog; other news topics, special reports, videos from CSPAN and others.
"Find copies of House and Senate bill texts, analysis and summaries of those bills, funding tables, information about project earmarks, and related congressional testimony and reports."
Includes news updates and blog to follow up on this 2008-2009 documentary.
Latest articles (including widely cited "U.S. infrastructure woes: a roadblock to growth"), news topics related to infrastructure; sign up for RSS updates.
"Developments in American Infrastructure and Construction Management News." latest news free; magazine requires subscription
(2009 report card) American infrastructure as of 2009 is rated "D"; reports costs of needed investment over the next 5 years.
(2011) charts from report by Urban Land Institute, "Infrastructure 2011: A Strategic Priority."
2010 report with data up to 2007; supplemental data chart goes up to 2009.
Accidents and incidents, aviation data, commercial space, passengers and cargo, safety, funding.
(2002-2009, though only up to 2003 for U.S.)
Records on transportation research worldwide; some free PDFs, others citations only.
(2009) map that details sources of power, power plants, solar power, wind power; part of NPR series "Power Hungry: Reinventing The U.S. Electric Grid."
Indicator: Infrastructure investment data
Includes data on freight gateways, airlines, border crossing, international (trade and border crossing).
(2011-2012) under Data Tables, select "Infrastructure." Includes survey of executives from several countries on how they rate different areas of infrastructure.
Includes plan for "Modernizing American Infrastructure."
(February 26, 2009, final report)
Saved search of government publications for documents that include infrastructure in their subject descriptions; includes GAO reports and testimonies and Federal Reserve Board Discussions.
(September 16, 2010, PDF) In response to President Obama's January 27, 2010 State of the Union Address; report emphasizes investment in infrastructure to meet export goal.
(September 6, 2010) how many miles of roads, railways, and runways that will be improved over next 6 years; specific upfront and long-term investments.
(November 2, 2011) urges Congress to pass the infrastructure piece of the American Jobs Act.
From Center for Government studies, free "digital archive of foundation-funded and other public policy research." Subtopics include modes of tranportation, traffic regulation, and policy and planning.
Recipients of infrastructure funding.
Search "infrastructure investment" in text of Congressional bills.
"Provided for a 65,000-km national system of interstate and defense highways to be built over 13 years."
"Federal tax imposed on shippers based on the value of the goods being shipped through ports...placed in a trust fund to be used for maintenance dredging of federal navigational channels."
(2003) more common name of Section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920: "The Act requires that all waterborne shipping between points in the United States be carried by vessels built in the United States and owned by the United States."
(May 22, 1998) "Non-traditional attacks on our infrastructure and information systems may be capable of significantly harming both our military power and our economy."
(1998) one component of TEA-21 was "advancing America’s economic growth and competitiveness domestically and internationally through efficient and flexible transportation."
(Established in 1998) "provides Federal credit assistance in the form of direct loans, loan guarantees, and standby lines of credit to finance surface transportation projects of national and regional significance."
Groups by mode of transportation, press releases, policy statements, congressional testimonies that "impact the workday of transportation workers."
Research and commentary of "policies and investments that can enhance the health and vitality of metropolitan areas, where the bulk of the U.S. population lives."
Established to "bring national attention to the needs of our multimodal freight system." Some freely available resources, such as map of commidity flows (2002) and freight specific legislation.
Link to final report: "Road to Recovery: Transforming America's Transportation."
(February 2009) in addition to video debate and recent updates on the issue, links to other organizations' resources on infrastructure.
"Bring together experts from the public and private sectors to take stock of the long-term opportunities and challenges facing infrastructures, and propose a set of policy recommendations for OECD Governments."
See "Infrastructure" for the most pressing infrastructure projects; see "Rebuilding America" for Popular Mechanics yearlong 2007 study of U.S. infrastructure.
Divided into several research centers focused on ports, railroads, safety, mobility, etc. Free publications on "solutions to the problems and challenges facing all modes of transportation."
Includes research reports about transportaion policy and issues and interactive tools for mapping fare increases and funding deficit, structurally deficient bridges, and other transportation related issues by state.
Gathering of international, national, state, and local transportation and infrastructure policy makers, from both private and public sectors.
Analysis on how infrastructure affects the U.S. economy, in areas such as trade, transportation of goods and people, and labor.
Links to Congressional testimony transcripts of AFL-CIO President Trumpka and Chamber of Commerce President Donohue, who "agree on the vital need to invest in the nation’s transportation infrastructure to create jobs and boost the economy."
(2011) “how U.S. economy and family budgets will fare if America fails to fund surface transportation improvements.” Three other studies to follow on infrastructure and water treatment, energy transmission, and airports and marine ports.
(October 10, 2010; opens PDF)
(February 2012)
(February 2011) lists infrastructure as one of the areas that U.S. must improve "to meet the needs of a dynamic, growing, and productive economy, but its quality has been in relative decline."
(October 2007) "Infrastructures have always been part of the lifeblood of strong economies and societies."
Thematic Elements, Section II: podcast on the importance of Infrastructure for growth.
(April 2011) "Rebuilding America’s infrastructure can play a role in not just creating American jobs but also boosting the productivity of American companies—which in turn supports rising incomes for workers and their families."
Resources on "Private participation in infrastructure (PPI)."
Analyses and news on infrastructure as part of U.S. national security and the potential dangers of not investing in, monitoring, and maintaining systems.
Sector specific plans for different aspects of infrastructure, such as agriculture, communications, energy, and transportation systems.
Many reports concern security of critical infrastructure.
"Facilitating dialogue on domestic infrastructure security and offering sorces of technical support and sources for comment on public policy, related to the security of the nation's built environment."
The Renewing America project explores six major domestic challenges facing the United States that have significant consequences for national security and foreign policy.
Countering Criminal Violence in Central America
The author assesses the causes and consequences of the violence faced by several Central American countries and examines the national, regional, and international efforts intended to curb its worst effects.
No One's World
A renowned scholar maps out the twenty-first-century world, providing a detailed strategy for reconciling the West with the "rise of the rest." More
The US-South Korea Alliance
A new volume explores the possibilities for enhanced U.S.-South Korea cooperation in both traditional and nontraditional spheres. More
U.S.-Turkey Relations
This Independent Task Force asserts that Turkey is an increasingly influential regional and economic power and calls for the United States and Turkey to forge a new partnership.
U.S. Education Reform and National Security
This Independent Task Force report asserts that fixing the nation's underperforming K-12 public schools is critical for strengthening the country's security and increasing its economic competitiveness.
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