When we think of physical infrastructure, we often focus on the assets themselves, such as bridges, pipelines, transmission systems, and roads, amongst others. However, we often think less about the role of the people and organizations that influence and guide the design and management of such systems. At the same time, when we think of structural inequality, we think about long-standing institutional norms and practices that advantage one group over another, irrespective of intent. However, we do not think how such practices can become physically embodied in infrastructure systems that allow such inequality to scale and to persist. In other words, perhaps inequality is not just “structural” metaphorically (via institutions) but also literally (via physical infrastructure). My talk will bring together these views. First, we will demonstrate that access to infrastructure does not evenly accrue to everyone, unlike how prevailing models incorporate infrastructure. Second, we will demonstrate the deleterious ramifications of this uneven access, namely that certain disadvantaged groups may be systematically shut out from the U.S. high-tech economy. Third, we show one possible mechanism for how this may occur – infrastructure as “institutional relics”. Infrastructure is “institutional” in that they are sited and designed based upon the authoritative standards of the time and/or location. They are relics in that given their long design life, those standards can persist, even after these standards are later updated and changed. Overall, we highlight how access to physical infrastructure does accrue to everyone equally; how that systematically then shuts out certain groups from our high-growth market opportunities (via high-tech startup rates); and how such inequalities persist given these systems often reflect the standards of the time that are no longer accepted (“institutional relics”).

Dr. Daniel Armanios is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University as well as a Distinguished Visiting Professor of Leadership at Tsinghua University’s Schwarzman College. Daniel’s current research lies at the intersection of institutions, engineering systems, and public policy & entrepreneurship. More specifically, he focuses on the social processes that influence how physical and scientific infrastructure is built and subsequently used to achieve entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainable development outcomes.