Next week is Infrastructure Week! Celebrating its sixth year, Infrastructure Week is a national week of events, public education and advocacy to elevate infrastructure as a critical issue impacting America’s economy, society, security and future.
NACo is getting involved with a number of interesting advocacy events throughout the week. Highlights include:
BROOKINGS FORUM: THE INCLUSION CHALLENGE
The three-part forum, hosted by Brookings Institute, will be to investigate how infrastructure policy can help address broader societal challenges, especially economic inclusion.
NACCED CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING: HOUSING AS INFRASTRUCTURE
A panel of experts will discuss their various perspectives of housing as infrastructure, featuring topics including the economic impact of a housing shortage, the backlog of public housing maintenance, private activity bonds as a tool for a wide range of infrastructure needs—including housing—and the importance of enhancing affordable housing resources.
NACO/NLC/US WATER ALLIANCE PANEL: C-SUITE PERSPECTIVES ON THE VALUE OF WATER
Businesses are reliant on access to safe, reliable water and wastewater. Water is also a main ingredient in our products and the processes we use to build them. Businesses rank water as a top corporate concern and a priority investment for a secure supply chain. As our water infrastructure ages, businesses are finding creative ways to use, reuse, and manage water safely and sustainably. Join the Value of Water Campaign and senior private sector executives for a discussion on how companies are driving innovative water management practices and navigating the challenges of today’s complex water landscape.
COLLABORATE TO BUILD: MODERNIZING INFRASTRUCTURE POLICIES TO ADVANCE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS
A changing economy, society, and natural environment are placing new stresses on the country’s infrastructure systems. The rise of a digital economy, continued population growth, and a changing climate combine to introduce new demands for real estate, where essential infrastructure services should operate, and how to protect both our built and natural environment.
Governments carry an enormous burden to modernize infrastructure systems to promote shared and sustainable prosperity. Central to that effort is to develop deeper partnerships with the private sector around the design, construction, operation, and financing of infrastructure projects. However, doing so is often easier said than done. Many of the country’s public policies are woefully outdated relative to private sector innovation, ranging from procurement around new business models to more flexible financing arrangements.
See NACo’s full calendar here.
Learn about counties’ numerous roles in infrastructure development here.
