National nonprofit for resilient cities launches week-long series on $2 trillion infrastructure plan
Strong Towns, the national nonprofit advocating for a bottom-up approach to improving fiscal resilience in North American cities, launched the first story in a five-part series critiquing the American Jobs Plan on Monday.
Subsequent installments of the series, written by Charles Marohn, organization president, will be published over the next four days, each addressing a different aspect of the infrastructure plan.
The series is preceded by Friday's article by Daniel Herriges, senior editor for Strong Towns.
To schedule an interview with Marohn or Herriges, contact Lauren Fisher, communications associate for Strong Towns, at lauren@strongtowns.org or 844-218-1681
The debate about the scale of the legislation and which projects qualify as "infrastructure," Herriges writes, are political squabbles that obfuscate the more important question: "Do these investments make our cities, and the people who live in them, wealthier?"
As proposed, the plan would fail to adequately address the maintenance needs of existing road, bridge, and transit infrastructure, said Marohn, civil engineer and founder of Strong Towns. Instead it will drive U.S. states and cities further down a path of insolvency.
According to Marohn, the cash infusion in regions across the country would result in "a fiscal sugar high—followed by a hangover of commitments we are systematically unprepared to meet."
Amid perverse incentives, it is up to local leaders to ensure that the money passed down to cities and states is used in ways that grow their wealth, rather than mortgage it.
Daniel Herriges, Senior Editor for Strong Towns
On Friday, Strong Towns will publish an article providing insight into how local officials can prepare to navigate impending legislation and resulting grants, local matches, and incentives.
Strong Towns is a national movement that helps local leaders identify the cause of decline in our cities and take action to build a stronger, financially resilient future. Strong Towns is reshaping the conversation about development in North America with its advocacy for bottom-up, incremental action.
For more information or to schedule an interview with Charles Marohn, Strong Towns President, or Daniel Herriges, Senior Editor, contact Lauren Fisher at lauren@strongtowns.org or at 844-218-1681
Charles Marohn, President and Founder of Strong Towns
Daniel Herriges, Senior Editor at Strong Towns
