Hopewell has also gotten flak for breaking the cardinal rule of mega-projects: Keep the costs off your own books.

CNN: HANGING ON AT HOPEWELL

Part of the reason is that such mega-projects tend to be all-or-nothing propositions.

ECONOMIST: Road to nowhere

Analysts give diverse reasons for the meltdown, most pointing to the current account deficit fueled by numerous infrastructure mega-projects that rely on external financing in U.S. dollars.

CNN: DEFLECTING RUMORs

" Kuala Lumpur's priority, he added, was to "put our house in order -- improve economic fundamentals by tightening fiscal policy, postponing some mega-projects and bringing the current-account deficit down.

CNN: A QUESTION OF OPENNESS

It will take in two other mega-projects: the planned administrative center of Putrajaya and a separate "intelligent city" nearby that will provide commercial and residential facilities for the MSC's high-tech work force.

CNN: The Center of the World?

During Mubarak's regime, government planners unveiled a plan for city development called "Cairo 2050" -- a 260-slide PowerPoint presentation that garnered immediate condemnation for its top-down mandates delivered as mega-projects that would relocate large numbers of mostly poor residents.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

This London-based company is rapidly snapping up mega projects across the globe.

FORBES: Citigroup's Joe Brent

In addition to the world's biggest airport, largest man-made islands, longest indoor ski slope and some of the biggest shopping malls and hotels anywhere, it is also building a mega theme park, Dubailand, which consists of some 45 separate projects, including such brand-name attractions as Legoland, a Tiger Woods golf course, a Six Flags fun fair, a Formula One park, and themed attractions from DreamWorks (a Hollywood film studio) and Marvel Comics.

ECONOMIST: The Gulf��s plans for its petrodollars

She recently signed a mega-development deal with ABC Television and its sister studio, Touchstone TV, to produce long-form projects and series through her production company.

FORBES: Magazine Article