Strategic urban assets
Distinctive assets — airports, seaports, energy grids, water networks and business districts — that disproportionately shape urban economies.
The focus of this theme is on distinctive assets that make a disproportionate contribution to urban economies, such as airports, seaports, energy grids, water networks and core business districts. The question is how effectively they are embedded in place and integrated into the local economy. The issue arises partly from the fragmented ways in which city infrastructure is governed and the predilection of some decision-makers for vanity projects and 'flagship' initiatives that generate relatively few multiplier effects. Sustained investment in the expansion and maintenance of infrastructure networks is a major challenge, with shortfalls causing damaging bottlenecks and breakdowns which undermine all kinds of development.
One proposition to be explored is whether a more devolved approach to planning and operations through empowered city governments could achieve greater synergies and better management of assets than the current disjointed approach. For example, an efficient and seamless urban transport system is critical to sustaining dense concentrations of activity by enabling efficient connections between firms and workers. Separate stand-alone rail, bus, BRT, minibus taxis and other transport systems mean poor alignment with land-use decisions and disinterest in denser urban development around hubs and stations. This has serious consequences for urban economies, including unreliable commutes, congested roads and business dispersal to outlying areas.
Selected references
Key papers and reports for this theme to be linked.