Unlocking infrastructure investment in distressed rural places

Understanding the unique role of the federally chartered regional commissions

Wednesday, January 15, 2025, 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. EST 
Online only: https://www.brookings.edu/events/unlocking-infrastructure-investment-in-distressed-rural-places 

Infrastructure investment is an essential component of economic growth and productivity. Yet underinvestment in infrastructure and the use of outdated designs have been a long-standing issue in rural America, home to some of the most distressed communities in the nation. The federally chartered regional commissions are mandated to target their federal resources—including for infrastructure—to the distressed communities within their service areas.

With billions of dollars making their way to communities from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), CHIPS and Science Act (CHIPS), and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), it is critical to understand the opportunities and barriers for distressed rural communities to access infrastructure investment from both federal agencies and from the regional commissions.

On January 15, Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Tony Pipa and West Virginia University Professor Heather Stephens will engage the federal co-chairs of the Appalachian Regional Commission, Delta Regional Authority, and Northern Border Regional Commission on the insights offered by Pipa and Stephens’ recent report, “Unlocking investment in distressed rural places: Comparing the infrastructure funding of select federally chartered regional commissions versus federal programs,” and the co-chairs’ own experiences to understand best practices for directing investment to distressed rural places.  

Viewers can submit questions by emailing events@brookings.edu or via Twitter @BrookingsGlobal using #RuralInvestment.