Large infrastructure projects are being planned and designed all over the world. As these projects require state funding and have a strong spatial and environmental impact, they tend to figure prominently in all parts of the national political ball game.

Though the physical results of infrastructure investments may be satisfactory, the preparation and execution of many large infrastructure projects are seriously flawed: the investment costs far exceed the initial estimate, urban and environmental integration is more problematic than anticipated, the financial returns (especially in rail projects) are less favourable than envisaged, and the transport performance fails to match the prognoses when the project was given the go-ahead.