There are a lot of important things that keep the world spinning, but infrastructure is one of the most important ones that is often neglected. The general public will often appreciate something like an airplane or car, but the wider infrastructure that keeps things together is easy to overlook and forget about. Public infrastructure is important, and in more ways than you may initially think.

What Is Public Infrastructure?

Before jumping into why public infrastructure is important, it’s good to break down what it is. Public infrastructure is the different facilities and structures the government owns that keep the world functioning. A road is an example of public infrastructure that your tax dollars go toward. Public infrastructure also refers to sanitation and waste facilities that the government owns, facilities where government workers handle and dispose of this waste. If they didn’t have these structures in place, untreated waste would quickly overrun the country. Public infrastructure is structures like these that you don’t appreciate until they’re gone.

The Shipping Chain

One of the biggest reasons infrastructure is so important is that it helps get things where they need to go. For example, you don’t suddenly have a pizza in your hand to eat. The ingredients to that pizza had to come somewhere. The pizza dough flour normally comes from Canada, tomatoes come from Mexico, cheese comes from Wisconsin or California, and the cardboard for the box comes from South America.

Each item you consume is made up of many smaller parts from different parts of the world. The world needs to rely on public infrastructure to simplify the supply chain and keep those items moving. Roads support cars and 18-wheelers, the railroad keeps trains moving, shipping containers and boats move things overseas, and it all goes to a store or restaurant that you buy from.

Sanitation and Safety

One of the biggest aspects of public infrastructure that is easy to overlook is sanitation. People are dirty, and all that dirt, grime, and waste has to go somewhere. In addition to human waste, the infrastructure takes care of a lot of waste from nature. For example, on the road, you will see manholes and sewer grates, and it’s easy to overlook their importance. Most manhole covers are round because they’re easy to install and move when public workers need to go into the sewer to ensure things are moving smoothly. It’s a job that no one wants to do, but without these workers, these sewers would clog and back up onto the road, turning your roads into a river of sewage.

Without high-quality public infrastructure, the world would fall apart. This public infrastructure is so important because it keeps everything moving, including everything from people to cars to airplanes, as well as food, water, and medicine. It’s important to invest more attention and resources into this infrastructure because you won’t notice it falling apart until it’s too late.

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