Managing mentalities of mega projects: The art of government of mega urban transport project

Mega urban transport projects (MUTPs), projects involving large scale construction of roads railways and bridges, are increasingly being used in urban environments to ameliorate the problem of congestion. The need for such projects is growing as cities seek to increase accessibility internally, replace aging infrastructure, transform cities to a more sustainable footing, and increase connectivity between regions. The size (in cost terms) and complexity of these projects is increasing as space in inner cities becomes more crowded, engineering solutions become more innovative, and complex partnership arrangements are used in their delivery. A number of problems with regard to mega projects have been identified. The seemingly institutionalised over estimation of economic benefits and persistent cost over runs, could mean that the wrong projects are selected, and that the projects that are selected cost more than they should. The articulation of problems in a form, for which MUTP is the solution leads to poorly integrated projects that lack public acceptance. Studies to date have produced a number of solutions to these problems, including the various methods for the inclusion of the private sector in project provision and various methods for inclusion of the public in consultation on the development and implementation of projects. These solutions are well researched and designed, however they have failed to significantly alter the outcomes for MUTPs. In situations where problems are resisting well developed solutions, it is often because the problems are arising in response to underlying conditions the solutions do not address. In this dissertation, the thesis is that in MUTPs this underlying condition is the art of government of mega urban transport projects (the 'AoG of MUTP'). The AoG of MUTP being the amalgam of rationality, knowledge and technology which provides those involved in the MUTP with a particular way of being. This AoG of MUTP can be examined by looking at MUTPs through the lens of Foucault's theory of governmentality. The method used to consider what is the AoG of MUTP has been to undertake a study of three Australian MUTPs, Melbourne's City Link, the Perth to Mandurah Railway and Sydney's Cross City Tunnel. The study included the construction of profiles of the projects, and 56 interviews with key actors in the projects. Following a combination of three theoretical approaches to identifying arts of government (from Michel Foucault, Mitchell Dean and Tania Li), the play of rationalities, knowledge and technologies used in each project have been examined for evidence of the AoG of MUTP. The AoG of MUTP has been examined through observing how it emerges in practice. This has afforded the opportunity to consider two subsidiary questions 'What is the effect of the AoG of MUTP?' and 'Why do we choose to bound our actions to this AoG? or 'what is the sublime of these projects?' The study explores how the AoG of MUTP works through the construction of a problem the solution of which is an MUTP. The key technologies of stakeholder consultation, benefit cost analysis, engineering, private sector involvement and governance, are examined for how they support and are defined by this AoG of MUTP. Finally the actions and drives of key actors are considered for how they are given by and generate this AoG of MUTP. Key findings from the study indicate that the AoG of MUTP is strongly correlated to the AoG of projects more generally. The AoG of MUTP is also strongly technical, based on sovereignty, and organically sticky.