Nobuhiko Daito, Center Graduate Research Assistant, is currently a doctoral student at George Mason University School of Policy, Government, and International Affairs. After receiving a Master of Urban and Regional Planning degree from the University of California, Irvine, he began his quest for a PhD at GMU in 2010, hoping to develop analytical skills and explore a research-related career relevant to policy making. His research interests include infrastructure financing, transportation policy, public finance, public-private partnerships, spatial analysis and non-motorized transportation modes. His research focus under the supervision of Professor Jonathan Gifford is institutional factors and performance of public-private partnership policy and projects.
Public-private partnerships (P3s) have become an important policy instrument for public agencies. In the face of severe fiscal constraints, agencies may employ P3s to achieve life cycle cost efficiency while continuing to invest in infrastructure. Daito’s proposed dissertation will explore the institutional and political factors that affect private investment in public infrastructure and the consequences of those decisions. The dissertation will consist of three essays with focused questions: (1) What are the differences in construction costs between P3s and traditionally procured projects?; (2) What factors contribute to the use of private investment to P3s?; and (3) What are the predicted outcomes of the P3 and traditional models, with respect to tolls, operational surplus, and aggregate welfare?