Course Textbook
[Martland] = 
Martland, Carl D. Toward More Sustainable Infrastructure: Project Evaluation for Planners and Engineers. Wiley, 2011. ISBN: 9780470448762.
| SES # | TOPICS | READINGS |
|---|---|---|
| L1 | Introduction and motivation; Initial discussion of project | Plotkin, Natasha. "To-do Maintenance: $2.1 Billion Required." The Tech, January 19, 2011. |
| L2 | Introduction to public and private projects, evaluation methods and project evaluation checklists |
"Public Perspective: Economic, Environmental, and Social Concerns." Chapter 4 in [Martland].
|
| L3 | Stakeholder analysis and multi-attribute analysis |
"Introduction." Chapter 1 in [Martland]. "Comparing Strategies for Improving System Performance." Chapter 5 in [Martland].
|
| L4 | Project costs and revenues; Stakeholder perspectives (public vs. private) |
"Systems Performance." Sections 2.2.4, 2.4.2, and 2.8 in [Martland]. "Equivalence of Cash Flows." Sections 7.1-7.3 in [Martland]. |
| L5 | Time value of money; Equivalence relationships | "Equivalence of Cash Flows." Sections 7.4-7.8 in [Martland]. |
| L6 | Discount rates, minimally acceptable rate of return (MARR), rate of return on investment (IRR) |
"Choosing a Discount Rate." Chapter 8 in [Martland]. Stolberg, Sheryl Gay. "Obama Unveils Wireless Expansion Plan." New York Times, February 10, 2011. |
| L7 | Benefit cost analysis; Comparing alternatives; Financial and economic analysis |
"Financial Assessment." Chapter 9 in [Martland]. "Rules of the Game: Taxes, Depreciation, and Regulation." Chapter 10 in [Martland]. |
| L8 | Financing | "Public-Private Partnerships." Chapter 12 in [Martland]. |
| L9 | Case: Panama Canal | "The Panama Canal." Chapter 6 in [Martland]. |
| L10 | High speed rail (HSR) case |
Givoni, Moshe. "Development and Impact of the Modern High-speed Train: A Review." Transport Reviews 26, no. 5 (2006): 593-611. Albalate, Daniel, and Germa Bel. "High-Speed Rail: Lessons for Policy Makers from Experiences Abroad." Research Institute of Applied Economics Working Paper, Universitat de Barcelona, March 2010. |
| L11 | Term projects from previous years | |
| L12 | Quiz review | |
| L13 | Quiz (open-book, open-note) | |
| L14 | HSR Case (cont.) | Eilperin, Juliet. "Great Plains Oil Pipeline Plan Sparks Grass-roots Activism, High-stakes Lobbying." Washington Post, January 23, 2011. |
| L15 | Introduction to uncertainty, stakeholder analysis and Mitchell framework | Mitchell, Ronald K., Bradley R. Agle, and Donna J. Wood. "Toward a Theory of Stakeholder Identification and Salience: Defining the Principle of Who and What Really Counts." Academy of Management Review 22, no. 4 (1997): 853-886. |
| L16 | Dealing with uncertainty |
Sussman, Joe. "The Tsunami That Wasn't." Teaching Note, March 7, 2010. (PDF) ———. "How Little Mistakes Can Lead to Big Differences in Outcomes: The Weather." Teaching Note, February 25, 2010. (PDF) |
| L17 | Dealing with uncertainty: Decision trees | Sussman, Joe. "Did Belichick Make the Right Call?" Teaching Note, February 19, 2010. (PDF) |
| L18 | Dealing with uncertainty: Real options | Sussman, Joe. "Real Options — A Simple Illustration." Teaching Note, April 28, 2010. (PDF) |
| L19 | Case: Spent nuclear fuel, transportation to Yucca Mountain, Nevada | |
| L20 | Project evaluation in developing countries, Case: Pure Home Water in Africa | Nelson, Theresa, Cynthia Ingols, Jennifer Christian-Murtie, and Paul Myers. "Susan Murcott and Pure Home Water: Building a Sustainable Mission-Driven Enterprise in Northern Ghana." Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice (2011). |
| L21 | Public private partnerships |
"Public-Private Partnerships." Chapter 12 in [Martland]. "Towards More Sustainable Infrastructure." Sections 15.1-15.2 in [Martland]. |
| L22 | Infrastructure banks | |
| L23 | Project presentations | |
| L24 | Project presentations (cont.) | |
| L25 | Project presentations (cont.) | |
| L26 | Wrap-up and summary |