Integrating Operational and Organizational Aspects in Interdependent Infrastructure Network Recovery

Managing risk in infrastructure systems implies dealing with interdependent physical networks and their relationships with the natural and societal contexts. Computational tools are often used to support operational decisions aimed at improving resilience, whereas economics‐related tools tend to be used to address broader societal and policy issues in infrastructure management. We propose an optimization‐based framework for infrastructure resilience analysis that incorporates organizational and socioeconomic aspects into operational problems, allowing to understand relationships between decisions at the policy level (e.g., regulation) and the technical level (e.g., optimal infrastructure restoration). We focus on three issues that arise when integrating such levels. First, optimal restoration strategies driven by financial and operational factors evolve differently compared to those driven by socioeconomic and humanitarian factors. Second, regulatory aspects have a significant impact on recovery dynamics (e.g., effective recovery is most challenging in societies with weak institutions and regulation, where individual interests may compromise societal well‐being). And third, the decision space (i.e., available actions) in postdisaster phases is strongly determined by predisaster decisions (e.g., resource allocation). The proposed optimization framework addresses these issues by using: (1) parametric analyses to test the influence of operational and socioeconomic factors on optimization outcomes, (2) regulatory constraints to model and assess the cost and benefit (for a variety of actors) of enforcing specific policy‐related conditions for the recovery process, and (3) sensitivity analyses to capture the effect of predisaster decisions on recovery. We illustrate our methodology with an example regarding the recovery of interdependent water, power, and gas networks in Shelby County, TN (USA), with exposure to natural hazards.     

Improving Africa's Roads: Modelling Infrastructure Investment and Its Effect on Sectoral Production Behaviour

Given the scarce resources for public investment in developing countries, policy analysis should include a detailed perspective on the effects of infrastructure. This article develops a modelling framework for analysing the effects of improved road infrastructure on the economy of African countries. The theoretical framework is tested empirically and used for simulations in a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model, and the effects on production and welfare are analysed. The model also serves to investigate the effect of roads on the economic participation of rural households.     

Shared‐use mining infrastructure: Why it matters and how to achieve it

This article considers the cases for and against ‘open access’ regulation of rail and port logistics infrastructure used by ‘bulk’ mining operations, arguing that host governments should proactively impose and then enforce such regulation in almost all cases. The logistics infrastructure needed for this type of mining activity is of critical importance. The costs and potential inefficiencies involved in duplicating such infrastructure confer a significant competitive advantage on its owner in the absence of effective access regulation. In particular, where a first mover develops an ‘integrated’ project incorporating a mine and associated infrastructure, a failure to impose access regulation discourages third‐party investment in mineral exploration and development in the region serviced by the infrastructure, due to the risk of hold‐up by the first mover. An unregulated first mover can also use its infrastructure advantage to capture the state's share of resource rents from the mineral endowment of the region. Open access regulation further benefits host countries by enabling broad‐based economic development through the shared‐use of mining infrastructure with other sectors (e.g., agribusiness). The article highlights contrasting experience with access regulation in Australia: the Pilbara iron ore region has seen protracted disputes involving mining firms and policy‐makers and very few examples of third‐party access, while in the coal region of central Queensland an extensive multi‐user, multi‐purpose railway network operates independently of mining firms. The authors urge governments in sub‐Saharan Africa (in particular) not to underestimate the internal capacity and other challenges associated with developing and enforcing open access regulation of mining infrastructure in a manner that protects their national interests.     

Critical indicators for assessing the contribution of infrastructure projects to coordinated urban-rural development in China

It is widely recognized that the coordinated development between urban and rural areas can not only narrow gaps in infrastructure between urban and rural areas, promote balanced development in rural areas in terms of society, economy and environment, but is also an effective way to address issues facing agriculture, rural areas and farmers. In line with this, development of infrastructure projects has been an important means for promoting coordinated urban-rural development in developing countries (such as China). However, there is a lack of indicators that can be used to assess the contribution of infrastructure projects to coordinated urban-rural development. This paper thus attempts to present a set of critical indicators for evaluating the contribution of infrastructure projects to coordinated urban-rural development in the particular context of Chongqing, Western China.First, a list of optional indicators that are with potential for assessing the contribution of infrastructure projects to coordinated urban-rural development is presented based on examination on related project feasibility reports, official reports and literature. Then 42 indicators are identified from the optional list through a questionnaire survey. By using the data collected, the relative level of significance of each indicator is derived. Finally, an indicator system consisting of 19 critical indicators is established based on results of principle component analysis. The applicability and significance of the identified indicators for assessing the contribution of infrastructure projects to coordinated urban-rural development are discussed as well.     

公共投资政策的社会福利成本

政府的公共投资政策对决定经济增长和社会福利水平起着关键的作用。本文研究了不同公共投资政策的福利成本。我们在一个存在基础设施资本和私人资本的内生增长框架内,给出了计算经济从非均衡状态过渡到平衡增长路径这个过程中的社会福利的方法,比较了不同公共投资政策相对于帕累托最优经济而言给社会带来的福利成本,并分析了影响福利成本的各种因素。政府的最优公共投资政策是使得福利成本最小的政策;在一定条件下,政府短期内可以采取推动型政策以有效地改变经济结构,从而为长期经济增长创造条件,改善社会福利。     

榆次区马村新农村建设调研

建设社会主义新农村是中国现代化进程中的重大历史任务。采用了实地调研和询问调查相结合的方法,针对马村新农村建设的现状和存在的问题,提出了诸如继续大力发展生产,加大农业气候保险力度,加强农田水利基础设施建设,培育新型农村带头人等推进马村新农村建设的具体措施。     

东盟基础设施的潜在需求及中国的投资对策

东盟众多发展中经济体的基础设施存量已远不能满足国家经济发展的需要,加大对其基础设施领域的投资合作是中国-东盟双方的共同意愿。根据世界银行的最新数据,东盟在电力、交通和通讯基础设施方面存在着潜在需求,这为中国加大对东盟基础设施投资提供了巨大的机会。中国对东盟基础设施领域的投资占中国对东盟直接投资的主要比重,但是投资的行业却高度集中,有待进一步拓展。中国对东盟的基础设施投资应区分不同国家的发展阶段,基于中国的比较优势和竞争优势进行相应的基础设施投资项目,并在政府大力支持下采用多种渠道广泛筹集资金。     

住房价格、土地价格与地方政府行为

本文基于中国35个大中城市2005至2015年的面板数据,通过构建具有“空间依赖”性质的房价地价空间面板联立方程模型,深入研究房价与地价关系、地方政府行为对房价和地价的作用机制以及城际间的相互作用。研究表明,临近城市间的房价相互“模仿”并一同推动地价上涨,房价对地价的影响呈现“模仿促进”的作用特征;各城市通过尽可能抬高本地地价来拉大与临近城市地价水平的差距,进而推高房价,实现“以地生财”。此外,研究还证实地方政府通过“价格途径”和“政策途径”均能对房价进行有效调控,且“价格途径”具有一定的传染性;而“数量途径”和“结构途径”作为地方政府控制地价的有效手段,具有较强的溢出效应。     

When runways move but people don’t: The O’Hare Modernization Program and the relative immobilities of air travel

Abstract

This paper draws on Urry’s four interconnected senses of mobility to argue that the O’Hare Modernization Project, carefully framed as moving runways rather than expanding O’Hare International Airport, has differentially affected the mobilities of people and land uses in addition to airport boundaries and noise, and that work on aeromobilities has not sufficiently considered spaces on the ground beyond airport borders. The relative immobility of the built environment around a major piece of infrastructure such as O’Hare has significant material consequences when the airport itself becomes mobile, reminding us of the politics inherent to the production of mobility systems and cities.