ABSTRACT

Basic local services, referred to as public infrastructure services in North America, are often described as the backbone of the economic systems and quality of life in Canada and the United States (US). A defining feature in North America is that the provision, governance, financing, and challenges confronting basic local services are nested within complex federal systems. North America's complex federal systems are not the only challenges to the investment and construction of public infrastructure. Solid waste management in North America is almost entirely the responsibility of local governments. Energy and broadband telecommunications technologies, while pivotal to citizens, operate mostly outside the purview of local governments in North America. The complexity of the public infrastructure systems described in this chapter, and the myriad challenges confronting these services, require that reinvestment in, planning for, and ensuring the sustainability of the regions infrastructure systems should be top priorities for policymakers and stakeholders.