Part 6 of the Brookings Blueprints for American Renewal & Prosperity event series

Americans are driving more miles, consuming more water, and sprawling further outward—all of which are fueling more climate challenges.

As the COVID-19 pandemic and recession drag on, millions of households are looking to Washington for answers.

Across the U.S., millions of people lack reliable and affordable water, transportation, energy, and broadband access.

Considering the depth of our climate crisis, one positive sign is increased attention. Democratic hopefuls are introducing various plans to combat the crisis, leading to an arms race for the boldest proposals and largest investments.

Another Infrastructure Week (the real one) just wrapped up, and after seven years many of the core themes remain the same. Crumbling roads and bridges. Desperate calls for new investment. A high national price tag for repair and revitalization. Little progress.

When governments purchase goods and services, they must often carry out a number of time-consuming steps to get anything done.

Many cities across the United States are home to legacy infrastructure systems. These older water, transportation, and communications systems are not only poorly suited to current needs, but they are also nearing (or well past) the end of their usable lives after decades of underinvestment and deferred maintenance.