Search
 

US Needs to Adjust View of Infrastructure

'[Most Americans] don't want their bridge to be owned by a private equity fund. There are psychological hurdles the US needs to get over,' says E&Y's Howard Roth.

By Ryan Clark | Updated on April 15, 2010

BOSTON-The Urban Land Institute in conjunction with Ernst & Young produced the “Infrastructure 2010: Investment Imperative” report, focusing on the nation’s infrastructure and water conundrums. As nations such as China and Australia are outstripping the US in terms of water waste management and infrastructure funding, there needs to be a social, financial and political reformation to move forward quickly to make up lost ground and, eventually, keep pace with the rest of the world and our country’s structural demands. GlobeSt.com caught up with Ernst & Young’s Global Real Estate Leader Howard Roth at ULI’s Spring Session 2010 to discuss what the US has to do to pull itself back from the brink.

GlobeSt.com: So the US has fallen behind the rest of the world in infrastructure. What should we be doing? What can we be doing?

Howard Roth: Well, there’s a number of things laid out in the report, but I think there are two main things. The establishment of a National Infrastructure bank. Right now everything is being funded state by state. We need a mechanism to set policy, prioritize projects and find ways to attract private capital. There are public-private partnerships, but very little. There are mechanisms in Europe which aligns capital, services government investors, policy, but that’s just not the case in the US.

Want to continue reading?
Become a Free ALM Digital Reader.

Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:

  • Unlimited access to GlobeSt and other free ALM publications
  • Access to 15 years of GlobeSt archives
  • Your choice of GlobeSt digital newsletters and over 70 others from popular sister publications
  • 1 free article* every 30 days across the ALM subscription network
  • Exclusive discounts on ALM events and publications

*May exclude premium content
Already have an account?

NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.

GlobeSt

Join GlobeSt

Don't miss crucial news and insights you need to make informed commercial real estate decisions. Join GlobeSt.com now!

  • Free unlimited access to GlobeSt.com's trusted and independent team of experts who provide commercial real estate owners, investors, developers, brokers and finance professionals with comprehensive coverage, analysis and best practices necessary to innovate and build business.
  • Exclusive discounts on ALM and GlobeSt events.
  • Access to other award-winning ALM websites including ThinkAdvisor.com and Law.com.

Already have an account? Sign In Now
Join GlobeSt

Copyright © 2024 ALM Global, LLC. All Rights Reserved.