An Historical Perspective on Infrastructure Reporting and Asset Management

Abstract

History provides many examples of movements both toward and away from private ownership and operation of infrastructure. In France, Great Britain, and the United States, shifts between local, intermediate, and national levels of government in ownership and regulation of some forms of infrastructure have also been common. And spending cycles in all three countries have been marked by bursts of spending followed by periods of retrenchment and stability. The author summarizes the rich and varied experiences of private and public provision of urban services in France, Great Britain, and the United States over the past 100 years. Their main focus is on experiences in the United States and on shifts back and forth between the public and private sectors.