• The M1 / M15 Motorway in Western Hungary, a 56.3-kilometer, US $330 million facility;
• The Vasco da Gama Bridge, a 12.3-kilometer, US $1.0 billion bridge in Lisbon, Portugal; and
• The Bangkok Mass Transit System, a 23.7-kilometer, US $1.5 billion elevated rail mass transit system in the Thai capital.

Research has been assembled through interviews with private sector investors, financial advisers, bankers, construction companies, government officials, development bank staff, academicians, and journalists, together with the review of primary project documentation and other written materials.

Representing a case of failure, a case of success, and one whose fate has not yet been determined, the case study projects offer rich comparisons. They have been shaped by differing cultural expectations and economic conditions. They have also benefited from the commitment of creative supporters and been subjected to changing political winds.