As talks begin about how to kickstart the economy after the worst of the COVID-19 crisis, lawmakers, policy wonks, and the media are resurrecting a familiar plan: a huge infrastructure bill that will “get money flowing” and “put Americans back to work.”
The belief that infrastructure spending can cure what ails us, that infrastructure is a “good financial investment,” has gained such widespread acceptance (in both major parties, among advocacy groups, and in the media) that we here at Strong Towns call it the “Infrastructure Cult.” But we’re not buying it. Because when you do the math, you soon discover that the more-is-better dogma is financially ruinous for local communities in even the best of times.
On this week’s episode of Upzoned, host Abby Kinney and Strong Towns founder and president Chuck Marohn discuss a recent article from The Hill about the $2 trillion infrastructure bill gaining steam in Washington, DC. They talk about where the money is likely to come from and how it will be spent, the problems with comparing the bill to Great Depression-era recovery plans, and why we can’t fix the economy using the same thinking that made it fragile in the first place.
Then on the Downzoned, Chuck recommends a modern adaptation of Sherlock Holmes and previews something big he’s been working on. And Abby, a Kansas City-based planner at Gould Evans, recommends a Netflix show that should be must-watch even for people who don’t live in Missouri.
Additional Show Notes:“Infrastructure bill gains new steam as coronavirus worsens,” by Mike Lillis and Scott Wong
Abby Kinney (Twitter)
Charles Marohn (Twitter)
Gould Evans Studio for City Design
Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom (Soundcloud)
Select Strong Towns articles about the Infrastructure Cult
A Reminder for Planners: "Every Projection is Wrong," by Daniel Herriges
The Hyperloop Is Always Greener from the Other Side of the Stroad, by Charles Marohn
What Should My City Do About Our Infrastructure Backlog? by Charles Marohn
Shreveport's Highway Emperors’ New Clothes, by Kim Mitchell
Why Does Infrastructure Cost So Much?, by Charles Marohn
This Man Overcame Homelessness by Building His Own Tiny Home…on Hollywood Boulevard!
What Does the ”Airbnbust” Mean for the Housing Market?
This Seattle Highway Is Facing a $29 Million Financial Crisis
We Need More Housing—But Also More People Who Can Build More Housing
Yes, Getting Rid of Parking Minimums Is Good for the Climate—But That’s Just the Tip of the Iceberg
We Have Plenty of Land in the United States. But Can All of It Support Housing?
The Paris of the Plains Can’t Afford Its Fountains Anymore
E-Bikes: The Frankenstein’s Monster of Transportation?
Professional Engineers: Speak Up. The Stakes Are Life and Death.
New York’s New Experiment in Fighting Gridlock
The ”Other Story” of Buffalo
Water Wars in the Modern Wild West
TxDOT Proposes to Dig a $1 Billion Infrastructure Grave in Downtown Dallas
State Preemption: A Means To Reform Zoning, or a Threat to Localism?
Looking for an Affordable Starter Home? HUD Suggests Trying a Manufactured Home.
NIMBY: Hero, Villain, or None of the Above?
Inflation or Lower Housing Values: Pick Your Cleanest Dirty Shirt?
Uber’s Bull Run Is Over, Says CEO
Corporate Investors Own Nearly Half of This City’s Residential Property
Philadelphia Is Launching the First Public Bank Owned by a City
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