What Does Infrastructure Mean in City Government?

A national engineers group says the infrastructure in many U.S. cities badly needs attention.

Infrastructure in city government consists of the physical systems and facilities that support urban life. This includes streets, bridges, water and sewer systems, parks and libraries. Maintaining infrastructure is important, but an engineering group suggests many U.S. cities are falling short.

Function

Strong infrastructure supports sustainable economic development and makes cities desirable places to live.

Significance

Incidents such as the collapse of the New Orleans levees during Hurricane Katrina and the 2007 bridge collapse in Minneapolis have focused attention on the condition of infrastructure across the U.S.

Expert Insight

The New York Times reported in 2009 that the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gave a grade of "D" to the nation's deteriorating infrastructure.

Effects

ASCE's report noted aging sewer systems, leaking water lines and structurally inadequate bridges.

Size

ASCE estimated that repairing crumbling infrastructure in cities across the country would cost more than $2 trillion.

References

• The New York Times: U.S. infrastructure in dire shape

Resources

• The Century Foundation: Local Government Infrastructure