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The key message of the report is that there
will be a crisis spanning five years for the
urban services and infrastructures industry
unless municipal leaders implement effecti-
ve measures.
The key results of the report can be sum-
med up as follows:
•
The study reveals that 68% of respon-
dents consider it necessary to invest
in urban infrastructures in the next five
years.
•
Municipal leaders are responsible for
improvements but tend to give prio-
rity to new infrastructure projects
while two-thirds of those interviewed
expressed their preference for main-
tenance and improvement of already
existing infrastructure.
•
82% of those interviewed suggested
that authorities should work more
closely with the private sector and ex-
pressed the clear desire of citizens to
play a role since greater collaboration
among the groups could offer better
results in terms of urban services and
infrastructures.
Brian Gardner, senior editor of the Econo-
mist Intelligence Unit, and editor of the stu-
dy, indicated that: “Although municipal ma-
nagers receive criticism in connection with
a mediocre infrastructure, it is obvious that
they cannot improve the conditions without
working in collaboration with service provi-
ders and with the citizens themselves”.
Improvements in transport in metro
and rail infrastructures are the main fo-
cus of urban infrastructures.
•
The study shows that there are good
infrastructures and urban services
•
52% of those interviewed said that
the metro and railroad were the key
priority and 47% attached greater
priority to this issue over the next five
years. The main concern worldwide
was roads and information technolo-
gies, in the Middle East it was airports
and in Asia-Pacific energy infrastruc-
tures.
•
According to 82%, governments
should work more with the private
sector to improve infrastructures,
mentioning the PPPs as the main
method for promoting improvement.
One of the funding mechanisms sugges-
ted was greater collaboration of the go-
vernment with the private sector through
public-private collaborations. 82% of tho-
se who participated in the survey agreed
with this since they considered this a way
of achieving more innovative and profitable
solutions.
Waste collection, treatment, and recycling
require efficient action by municipal leaders
over the next five years:
•
The report revealed the global con-
cerns on the future of infrastructures
and urban services, including waste
collection, treatment and recycling.
•
Cities need to “have citizens beco-
me involved and educated them” on
“hidden value” infrastructures such as
waste services.
t h e g r o u p