Investment in local infrastructure can be a catalyst for growth.

If nothing is put in place to correct the infrastructure problems America faces now, the problems will increase exponentially in the future, warn analysts at NLC.

The deterioration of roads, highways and bridges, for example, will snowball. As city officials look down the road, they will have to deal with the state of transportation and how it contributes to the flow of goods and people, according to Julia Pulidindi, policy analyst at NLC.

Multi-tasking, it turns out, isn't just for the guy who works in the cube; today, local leaders are being tasked with finding ways to integrate sustainability, infrastructure and economic development initiatives in ways that can stimulate growth or, at least, slow economic decline in their communities.

Procrastination is not an option for city leaders facing the rising transportation needs of America's cities--rural and urban--and the impending deterioration of their transportation infrastructure. Other infrastructure and economic development issues are at similar critical crossroads.

But the forecast isn't dire--NLC notes that local leaders do not have to work in isolation to develop solutions to these challenges. At the 2008 Congress of Cities, November 11-15, in Orlando, Fla., attendees will have ample opportunity to learn and share solutions that work.

Sustainability in its broadest sense--development that increases a community's quality of life by considering land use, economic, environment, social and fiscal impacts--and strengthening infrastructure have been identified as issues so critical to America's cities, towns and villages that they have been adopted as two of the 2008 Congress of Cities main content tracks.

Attendees at the conference will learn that investment in local infrastructure can be a catalyst for new jobs and economic growth. In fact, common regional and local responses integrate sustainability and infrastructure with economic development. These solutions often touch on transit-oriented development, corridor planning and urban growth boundaries.

It is important to keep in mind, however, say NLC researchers, that while these solutions may work in some communities, they may not in others. It depends on a community's vision, the technical capacity of city staff, political feasibility and a host of other factors.

In crafting solutions to challenges in infrastructure, sustainability and economic development, a broad spectrum of options exists. Transportation solutions range from accessing federal programs to expanding bus systems, building new toll roads or investing in transit projects.

"The challenges associated with building new infrastructure in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, particularly transportation infrastructure, is daunting," says Oscar Trevino, mayor of North Richland Hills, Texas, and chair of the Regional Transportation Council, the transportation policy body for the Dallas-Fort Worth area. "Our recent experiences in developing toll projects illustrate that tolling and innovative finance tools play a significant role in addressing our collective funding crisis. These funds are being programmed to projects in the counties where toll road users reside, allowing for the construction of needed projects long before traditional transportation revenue would be available. This initiation will save millions of dollars in inflation costs and provide more immediate mobility and air quality benefits."

Sustainability and infrastructure solutions also aren't limited to transportation issues. They can involve innovative funding ideas, ways to reduce costs and other economic development opportunities.

"My community had been left to deal with a number of large, blighted, brown-field sites after a series of manufacturing plant closings," said Mayor Wayne Seybold of Marion, Ind. "NLC provided access to resources--including training sessions and networking opportunities--that have proven to be invaluable in assisting us with the redevelopment process. In fact, where once stood a vacant contaminated 400,000 square foot manufacturing facility, is now a new, state of the art aquatic center--The Splash House at Junction Park--which has become a regional destination point."

As local leaders prepare to participate in the 2008 Congress of Cities, NLC suggests that they arrive prepared to solicit and share great solutions.

Come prepared to ask:

* What "sustainable" practices exist and are working now?

* what are their pros and cons?

* How quickly can they be implemented in their city?

* what costs are associated with the implementation?

* what federal programs exist that can help their city?

Come prepared to share:

* Quick, cost saving measures that reduce the strain on infrastructure and move people and goods efficiently and affordably.

* Ideas on adequate transportation options that connect a region's residents to jobs.

* Information that a member could take home from the Congress of Cities and put into practice.

Details: For more information about programming at the 2008 Congress of Cities or to register, visit www.NLCCongressofCities.org.