I’ve been taking a recent look at the issues and effects of infrastructure in countries, piqued by a recent NPR rant about how this country has neglected its infrastructure. The commentator argued that development of everything from improved roads to high speed rail will remake the country’s potential for development in the future. Here we take it for granted, but in places like Afghanistan, the development of even basic transit infrastructure is vital to the government’s survival.
When the United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan, in 2001, they found the conditions to be nearly as rough. A dearth of traversable roads hindered the attack on al-Qaeda forces at Tora Bora, and has complicated the country’s governance. NATO allies squabble over many things, but on one they all agree: if Afghanistan is ever to be secure, prosperous, and cohesive, it must first be paved.
Domestically, California itself is embarking on a project to connect northern and southern California via high speed rail (check out the awesome animations on that site) which will connect San Francisco and Sacramento to Los Angeles and San Diego. One side effect among many will be that the new transbay terminal will remake part of the South of Market district in San Francisco as a major transit hub.
Anyone got any good articles about America’s infrastructure?
http://gawker.com/tag/our-crumbling-infrastructure/
1 | mattbot May 29th, 2008 at 2:31 pm