Foundations 19 – Infrastructure Space

are dealing with alternatives. “Especially in developing countries we need more soft and hard infrastructure that makes sure that products and benefits stay in the country first before going out.” Not as it is now in many export countries, where it seems that all infrastructure is principally designed to get goods out of the country as fast as possible. Nevertheless, one must be careful to make new solutions in every context attractive for the business side too; otherwise it will be difficult to find investors willing to put them into practice. “Our discussions are too much fixated on manmade infrastruc- ture,” added Rahul Mehrotra. “Natural infrastructure is critical too.” We must consider and discuss natural and built infrastructure together, “so you can open up a whole new discussion about the economy of infrastructure.” Governments today are ill equipped to deal with both of these forms of infrastructure and to develop new visions and projects. Usually one concentrates on only one of the two, which not infrequently leads to inequities. To reorient oneself in this automatically implies political decentralization in decision-making – and this in turn would allow local solutions that cost less. The politician Edgar Mora Altamirano agreed, as he is convinced that business as usual will only perpetuate the status quo in terms of profit-making and inequity. “And we don’t have the right incen- tives within the system to change the establishment at the mo- ment.” It will probably take more pressure from the base to really change the way we use and develop infrastructure. “At the end of the day, we are talking about new definitions of power and shifts in power,” summarized Rolf Soiron, “because the current elites seem either unwilling or incapable of distributing products, investments, and infrastructure.”

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