Mega-projects as displacements

Dams, roads, ports, mines, and other "mega-projects" both reflect and instantiate the larger social projects of colonialism, development, and globalisation. In this article, we define mega-projects as those which transform landscapes rapidly, intentionally, and profoundly in very visible ways. We argue that (1) displacement is intrinsic to mega-project development and that both are socio-natural phenomena, (2) the definition of displacement must be expanded to include its primary and secondary dimensions, And (3) the continued prevalence of displacing mega-projects is supported by a combination of capital and state interests, elements in modernising ideology, the mega-project process, and the cultural biases of epistemic communities formed around specific mega-project types. Understanding the history and epistemic logic of mega-projects will help social scientists to see,he multiple displacements and, one hopes, enable others to see them as well.