A “force multiplier” increases the relative effectiveness of a fighting force. A gun, for example, is a force multiplier.

Infrastructure is a land multiplier.

For example, at five people per acre, about the maximum possible sustinable density for high intensity organic agriculture, Greater London can support about 1/4 of its current population. Therefore the “land multiplier” for Greater London is 4. (or possibly more if you count the skills of high intensity agriculture as infrastructure)

A simple idea, but one which really puts modeling tools for understanding infrastructure into sharp focus.

See Simple Critical Infrastructure Maps.