U.S. Infrastructure Crisis

Though the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provided $1.2 trillion for transportation and infrastructure spending, as of September 2024, less than half of those funds had been awarded, and cities still lack funding for urgently needed infrastructure repairs. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers' 2025 Infrastructure Report Card, though IIJA funding has moved the country's overall grade from a C- in 2021 to a C, more than 33.3 trillion gallons of treated water are wasted each year in the U.S. because of water main breaks, more U.S. bridges are in fair or poor condition than good condition, 17,000 dams are considered to have high hazard potential, and 39 percent of public roadways are in poor condition.

According to the National League of Cities' annual State of the Cities report, infrastructure repair was the second-highest priority issue for U.S. mayors and the top priority issue for city residents in 2024. With the fate of IIJA funding uncertain under the Trump administration, planners may need to look to different sources to find funding for their communities' infrastructure maintenance and repair needs.