Economy
7 Infrastructure Myths Perpetuated by Donald Trump
Trump claims to be one of the best “builders” in the U.S.—but there’s a lot he doesn’t seem to understand about urban planning.
Buried underneath a slew of contentious policy proposals—including deporting all undocumented immigrants and banning Muslims from entering the U.S.—is a remarkably sound plank of Donald Trump’s campaign: infrastructure reform. In his latest book, the sloppily written and problematically titled Crippled America, Trump argues that “fixing the country’s infrastructure would be a major priority project” during his potential presidency. “When you talk about building,” he writes, “you had better talk about Trump.”
Let’s grant him this wish and consider the two together. What exactly are Trump’s views on building better cities and improving infrastructure in the U.S.? And how do they stack up against commonly held best practices in urban planning?