We could transform America right now, rebuilding our roads and our bridges and our airports and also rebuilding a new infrastructure for the 21st century -- high-speed rail and a new generation of air traffic control that could actually save 15 percent of fuel costs and as a consequence reduce global warming.

WHITEHOUSE: Remarks by the President at a DNC Event in Washington, DC

San Antonio has boomed thanks to the presence of three large military bases, and the well-managed closure of a fourth in 2001 has created a vast new air- and rail-distribution port, mainly serving Mexico.

ECONOMIST: Beyond oil

The next decade will see the construction of a city-wide rail system and air-conditioned stadiums, so matches can be played during the scorching hot summer, as well as an entirely modular stadium in Doha Port that will be disassembled after the World Cup and sent on to the next host country.

BBC: Living in: Doha

The move to revive commercial air and rail links follows the restoration of a popular bus service between Delhi and Lahore last summer.

BBC: Security personnel checking railway tracks

For now, New Jersey Transit, the Long Island Rail Road and Amtrak have hired a design firm to bring some light and fresher air into Penn Station.

WSJ: Plans languish for overhaul of NYC's Penn Station

In London, meanwhile, where road congestion and air pollution provide a decent argument for using government cash to subsidise rail journeys, there are now serious capacity constraints.

ECONOMIST: Railways

The country has also launched a huge spending policy in recent years to accommodate its growing population, splashing out billions on rail, air and road links.

BBC: Russia & Qatar will host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups