Honestly I was confused on why cities would like to avoid public investments. It made more sense to me when the author stated the reasons. Public investments in huge projects will reveal people who play a big part in these projects that don’t want to be known. Projects just may need public assistance as much anymore. I can understand this but I am pretty sure there are other projects that would like the money.
The author states that certain forms of large-scale public investment are very expensive, time consuming, and politically difficult after 1970. I understand for the public government why the cost would deter them from investing and how a time consuming project can negatively affect both the residents and the government. Although it is money being handed out by the government, there can be underlying reasons on why the project is being funded. Also, as a citizen who lives around the area I probably wouldn’t want to live around a mega project.
It is interesting they are mentioning mega project since the area I am doing for my project deals with two mega projects, the Javits Center and the construction of the 7 train station stop. As mentioned in the last paragraph, citizens who live around the area probably do not want to live around a mega project. I know from previous experience how citizens feel about megaprojects. The citizens in the area were complaining on how their standard of living is decreasing.
When the TSA was mentioned, I was reminded of the controversy they had a couple of with the full body scanners as a new mode of airport security. I actually did not know it was created as a reaction to 9/11 though it does make sense when I think about it now. It is funny to me how in the book, the author states that the TSA would need 6.8 billion dollars to by the end of 2002 and it has become one of the government associations people complained about the most. I am not too sure how people still feel about air travel though. I feel like people are definitely less afraid about terrorist attacks since Osama bin Laden is dead now. Last time I went to an airport, there seemed to a lot of traffic. One question I would have is what are the revenues of air transportation in relation to the years after 9/11. Have they decrease, increase, or remain the same level after 9/11?
Although projects like the Javits Center, the Cultural Shed, and the MTA railroad construction are less disruptive on the national level, how citizens feel should still be a major part to be considered. Our era of mega projects is definitely small scale compared to the past where highways would be put in place of old building and slums. In the city, I don’t think more buildings are necessary anymore. Like in Hudson Yards, redevelopment on old neighborhoods would be better than putting a new convention center next to another one.
