Designed to Fail: How fossil fuel infrastructure undermines municipal finances

Significant infrastructure deficits in municipalities across North America indicate that infrastructure is being expanded at an unsustainable rate. Simultaneously, governments are faced with the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

This event will share how urban development patterns influence both the fiscal and environmental cost of car-oriented infrastructure. Low-density growth patterns often generate insufficient tax revenue to cover their full life-cycle infrastructure costs, contributing to large infrastructure deficits. At the same time, these patterns reinforce car dependency, leading to higher energy consumption and emissions.

Key findings from the research will present how fiscal impact analysis, infrastructure planning, and land-use policy can be better integrated to support more sustainable outcomes. It will also consider how current pricing structures, investment decisions, and governance frameworks shape development patterns and associated costs.

Guiding questions include the following:

• How do different urban development patterns affect long-term municipal finances and infrastructure costs?
• In what ways do land-use decisions shape energy demand and emissions outcomes?
• What are the limitations of current fiscal impact analyses, and how can they be improved?