The PolicyLink Center for Infrastructure Equity
The PolicyLink Center for Infrastructure Equity advocates for fair and inclusive policies and provides community and grassroots leaders, advocates, and public officials with the tools, training, and consultation needed to ensure that public investments in infrastructure create economic opportunity and health in all communities. The center has evolved out of several years of action-oriented research and partnerships by PolicyLink with state and local organizations, and is poised to continue that work while also addressing key new federal infrastructure policy opportunities.
From canals and railroads to the interstate highway system to today’s vital broadband lines, the economy has thrived on smart, targeted public investments. The quality of schools, parks, streets, mass transit, utilities, and other public investments largely determine the quality of life in a neighborhood, a city, and a region. When this infrastructure is running smoothly, few people take note. But when a crisis hits, the
failures can be catastrophic.
Public officials and community and business leaders are struggling to develop viable strategies to replace aging infrastructure or expand systems to meet the demands of a growing population. Hundreds of billions of dollars must be invested in the next decade. The choices will determine how we live in our communities, how we get around, and what kind of work we do. The stakes are incredibly high.
Smart, targeted, and equitable public infrastructure investments can generate enormous community benefits—jobs, business opportunities, access to public transportation, and quality affordable housing.
In late 2006, PolicyLink issued a briefing paper called Safety, Growth, and Equity: Infrastructure Policies that Promote Opportunity and Inclusion, which offers seven principles to guide infrastructure planning. PolicyLink continues its exploration of Safety, Growth, and Equity in infrastructure by looking in-depth at several issues:
Click here to download the brochure for The PolicyLink Center for Infrastructure Equity.