Public-Private Partnerships - In Brief

PPPerfect for infrastructure?

In the midst of a backlog of public infrastructure needs, there is growing support and activity for “public-private partnerships,” or PPPs, which give private firms de facto ownership of assets.
Though not inherently a better model for infrastructure than traditional government procurement, PPPs offer a new source of capital and a way around the political tussle for funding that has created much of the backlog problem.
PPPs involve pros (addressing needs faster) and cons (higher user costs), along with a certain leap of faith. The most innovative approaches come with considerable risk and are not yet time-tested, particularly in the United States.