Public-Private Partnerships: Infrastructure, Transportation and Local Services

Public–private partnerships (PPPs) are arrangements between government and private actors with the objective of providing public infrastructure, facilities and services. Three fundamental questions frame the use of PPPs at the local level: What do PPPs look like? What gives rise to the use of PPPs? And, what are the outcomes of PPPs? The articles in this book provide insightful answers to these questions. In addition, the contributions in the book identify lines of research that invite further investigation, namely: problems related to the degree of risk transfer; the challenges posed by renegotiation; and evaluation of PPPs’ results. The content of this book will be of interest for scholars, policy analysts, and policy makers.

This book was published as a special issue of Local Government Studies.

Germà Bel is Professor of Economics at the University of Barcelona, where he holds the Pasqual Maragall Chair of Economy and Territory. His research focuses on public sector reform and public policy evaluation.

Trevor L. Brown is the Director of the John Glenn School of Public Affairs at the Ohio State University in Columbus. Professor Brown's primary research deals with government contracting and contract management.

Rui Cunha Marques is Professor Systems and Management at the Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) of the Universidade de Lisboa in Portugal. His area of research addresses the regulation, performance and procurement of public utilities.