Politics 200-A: Special Studies in Politics - Introductory Level: Megaprojects: The Politics of Spectacle in Shaping International Politics

This course examines the politics of large-scale urban interventions known as megaprojects. Megaprojects are a key modality for the production of privatized urban space of the 21st century with implications on local, national, and international politics. Megaprojects, such as Hudson Yards, Brasília, Astana, Istanbul Airport, and Tanger-Med Port, reflect changing patterns of consumption, regime imperatives of security, the increased role of private capital in urban transformation, and the shifting forms of infrastructure. This course delves into the theorizations, histories of the megaproject, and empirical case studies through which to analyze convergent theoretical trends. May be applied toward the Global Politics requirement for the Politics-Environmental Studies major.