Civic Dilemmas in Infrastructure
Infrastructure refers to the system of public works of a country, state, or region. While infrastructure refers to something physical, it is undergirded by civic actions—choices and decisions about what to invest in, where, and for whom. Students examined two of these persistent human problems—water and transportation—through “case studies” analyzing choices made historically and their implications for today.
Civic Dilemmas in Infrastructure – Ibrahim Abdul-Matin
February 4, 2018
Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, Public Speaker
In this Forum, Civic Fellows examines two of these persistent human problems—water and transportation—through “case studies” analyzing choices made historically and their implications for today. While New York is the nation’s largest municipal water supplier and delivers what has been called “the champagne of drinking water,” New York’s subway system is now considered a failure, with centuries-old tunnels, crumbling track routes, and the worst on-time performance of any major rapid transit system in the world. In small groups, Fellows grappled with current challenges facing both systems today and devised recommendations they would make to a civic decision maker.