Author: Sadek Wahba

Publisher: Georgetown University Press

Published: 2024

Total Pages: 390

ISBN-13: 1647124964

"Calling for a reimagining of how the United States manages its infrastructure, Build takes readers on a revealing tour behind the scenes of the successes and debacles of key projects-from roads, bridges, and ports to water systems and airports-to show what works, why we've failed in recent decades to invest in infrastructure, and why the private sector can help the United States once again lead in infrastructure development. In a series of colorful, rarely told cases, economist and infrastructure investor Sadek Wahba walks the reader through the little-known processes-including the ins-and-outs of infrastructure management, ownership and regulation-that define American infrastructure. He examines the private origins of US infrastructure and the federally funded megaprojects that followed the New Deal-and investigates the role that the private sector can and should play in infrastructure. By drawing comparisons with systems in the UK, France, India and China, Wahba shows that while privatization and public-private partnerships cannot solve all infrastructure challenges, they can open up major and large-scale infrastructure advancements. Build will appeal to anyone interested in US finance, politics and domestic policy, the role of the federal government, tax policy, municipal government, green technology, or stories about American cities"--