Central Philadelphia Development Corp. meeting

Beyond Stimulus:  Thinking strategically about infrastructure

Infrastructure investment is more complicated than simply shoring up old bridges and building high-speed rail lines between major cities; it must be approached strategically and with a view to the greatest overall economic advantage. And simply to repair our crumbling infrastructure–not to mention building anything new–will take a concentrated national effort and a huge amount of planning and funding. That was the overriding theme of the Central Philadelphia Development Corporation’s membership meeting Tuesday night at the Four Seasons Hotel.

In response to the current national economic crisis, the Obama administration has indicated its support for massive infrastructure projects like high-speed inter-city rails. The CPDC invited a panel to address issues surrounding infrastructure, and brought in heavyweights like Robert Yaro, president of New York’s Regional Plan Association, as well as Gov. Ed Rendell, who spoke via video from Harrisburg. Other panelists included Tom Caramanico, chair of CEO Council’s Infrastructure Committee; Rina Cutler, deputy mayor, Office of Transportation and Utilites; and Alan Greenberger, executive director of the Philadlephia City Planning Commission.

posted by John Davidson