Chapter 17
Infrastructure as Public or Private Goods
Infrastructure design is a balancing act, working with
opposing forces like complexity versus simplicity and
uniqueness versus standardization. The architect has to factor
in all the design boundaries, crafting a solution that is a
custom fit for the customer’s requirements but that can be
implemented with consistent results.
Scott Lowe
Infrastructure design is about creating the most robust
infrastructure solution while taking into account all customer
requirements and (technical) constraints.
Kenneth van Ditmarsch
To those who say Britain cannot afford to invest in
infrastructure, I say we cannot afford not to invest in our
future.
Philip Hammond
The world is undergoing not only a major infrastructure
build-out but also a major new wave of infrastructure
privatization as governments try to generate cash to balance
budgets and make new investments. Government worldwide
are thus handing out infrastructure management to private
companies or third parties that operate them according to
market forces.
Parag Khanna (Connectography)
Infrastructure is a means to other ends, and the effectiveness,
efficiency, and reliability of its contribution to these other
ends must ultimately be the measure of infrastructure
performance.
National Research Council (U.K.)
In economics, two characteristics (excludability and rivalness) may be used to define
or distinguish goods from purely private goods or solely public goods. Nonetheless,
the demarcation is not always clear, given the wide variety of infrastructure, and
choice of suppliers. What used to be supplied by the government can now be
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
V. Proag, Infrastructure Planning and Management: An Integrated Approach,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48559-7_17
469
Infrastructure as Public or Private Goods
Infrastructure design is a balancing act, working with
opposing forces like complexity versus simplicity and
uniqueness versus standardization. The architect has to factor
in all the design boundaries, crafting a solution that is a
custom fit for the customer’s requirements but that can be
implemented with consistent results.
Scott Lowe
Infrastructure design is about creating the most robust
infrastructure solution while taking into account all customer
requirements and (technical) constraints.
Kenneth van Ditmarsch
To those who say Britain cannot afford to invest in
infrastructure, I say we cannot afford not to invest in our
future.
Philip Hammond
The world is undergoing not only a major infrastructure
build-out but also a major new wave of infrastructure
privatization as governments try to generate cash to balance
budgets and make new investments. Government worldwide
are thus handing out infrastructure management to private
companies or third parties that operate them according to
market forces.
Parag Khanna (Connectography)
Infrastructure is a means to other ends, and the effectiveness,
efficiency, and reliability of its contribution to these other
ends must ultimately be the measure of infrastructure
performance.
National Research Council (U.K.)
In economics, two characteristics (excludability and rivalness) may be used to define
or distinguish goods from purely private goods or solely public goods. Nonetheless,
the demarcation is not always clear, given the wide variety of infrastructure, and
choice of suppliers. What used to be supplied by the government can now be
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
V. Proag, Infrastructure Planning and Management: An Integrated Approach,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48559-7_17
469