Ghost projects and the ambiguity of infrastructure development
Abstract
This editorial introduces the special issue on ‘Ghost Projects – Ruined Futures and the Promises of Infrastructure Development’. It defines ghost projects as a way of encountering unfinished infrastructure whose ambiguous present-absence continues to influence development imaginations and practices. Drawing on the empirical material provided by the 12 contributions to this special issue, the editorial distinguishes ghost projects from related concepts and proposes a typology based on the dimensions of visibility, outcome and temporality.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Public-Private Partnership Projects
Water Governance and Infrastructure
Hydropower
Displacement
Environmental Impact
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Third World Quarterly
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Volume
- 47
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 1–7
- Publication date
- 2 January 2026
- Language
- EN