A Foucault perspective on public–private partnership mega-projects

Abstract

Long-term contracts are increasingly being used by governments to procure mega urban transport projects (tunnels, bridges, roads and rail lines) that are designed to ameliorate the problem of urban congestion. Mega urban transport projects are increasing in size, number and complexity across the world (Capka 2004a; Ekenger 1987; Kumaraswamy and Morris 2002). At the same time Flyvbjerg (2005) notes that in nine out of ten such projects, cost overruns of 50 per cent are common, and 100 per cent cost overrun is not uncommon. The estimated positive economic and development benefits of mega urban transport projects are mostly ‘non-existent, marginal or even negative’ (ibid.: 20). Similar results have been found by other authors (Allport 2005; Boyce 1990). Additional problems faced by mega urban transport projects are that they are often poorly integrated into the transport networks they inhabit and lack public acceptance (De Bruijn and Leijten 2008).