Opposing rationalities regarding infrastructure megaprojects

Abstract

From the 1970s to the present, the construction of large-scale infrastructure has reached unprecedented dimensions, a phenomenon closely tied to planetary urbanization, heightened demand for energy resources and raw materials, and the imperatives of global capital to sustain its production and distribution networks for goods and services.

Infrastructure megaprojects—including hydroelectric dams, hydrocarbon extraction and distribution facilities, wind farms, road and rail transportation systems, and industrial and logistics parks—have become a focal point of debate in recent years due to the dilemmas they pose. On one hand, they are framed as essential enablers of productive, distributive, and consumptive activities. On the other hand, they face scrutiny for generating risks and unintended adverse consequences in the spatial contexts where they are situated.