That idea has become Ghost and it is now a project backed by over 900 people on Kickstarter, including leading content creators and thought leaders like Seth Godin, Leo Babauta, and Anil Dash.

FORBES: Innovation in Creation

Last week Karnataka state claimed that by paying welfare direct to bank accounts it had cut some 2m ghost labourers from a rural public-works project.

ECONOMIST: India��s UID scheme

They point out the "ghost town" of Kilamba in Angola, a grandiose project often labeled as a white elephant.

CNN: Africa's 'new cities': Urban future or utopian fantasies?

Today, the Hanford site is a virtual ghost town and those involved in the clean-up project say they will need every dollar of the federal stimulus funds.

CNN: Federal funds aim to clean up nuclear wasteland