“Generation after generation, giant public works projects have altered the American landscape. The Erie Canal and the transcontinental railroad come to mind. So do massive urban sewer and sanitation systems, the Tennessee Valley Authority, rural electrification, the Hoover Dam, the Interstate System, the subway networks in San Francisco and Washington, the Big Dig in Boston … and the list abruptly stops.” Entering the Superproject Void, NY Times

As a previous resident of Boston, the Big Dig is a thing of mixed emotions. I remember golfing with a guy who drove a dump truck three days a week on site and bragged about making $150,000 a year. As a taxpayer, it infuriated me. At the same time, big public works projects bring cities together and rekindle the civic dream. I dream of a future where we return to something similar to Rome: the hedge fund barons of New York overhauling outdated highways (start with the BQE), railyards, and waterfronts.