The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed or troubled projects from around the world.
Garden Bridge Trust – UK
Project type : Bridge design & construction
Date : Apr 2017
Cost : £53M (including £43M of public funds)
Synopsis :
New York has its 'High Line', Seoul has its 'Sky Garden', Paris has its 'Promenade Plantée' and London nearly had it's 'Garden Bridge'. Elevated, elongated city parks are a draw for both tourists and locals alike...
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Examples of failed projects
UK Government – The Poll Tax
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed or troubled projects from around the word.
British Government - Prime Minister's Office
Project : The Community Charge (the Poll Tax)
Project type: Changes to the taxation system
Date : Mar 1990
Cost : Unknown
Synopsis :
With politics likely to be a big part of the 2020 story, I thought I'd touch on how projects are sometimes the demise of politicians (even the highest and mightiest). As a case in poi...
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Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG
The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed or troubled projects from around the world.
Organization: Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG - Germany
Project name : eLWIS (apparently pronounced “Elvis” in German)
Project type : Merchandise management system - Grocery stores
Date : Aug 2018
Cost : €500m
Synopsis :
When it comes to selling the basic commodities of life you have to be lean and efficient. The grocery industry runs on thin margins and reli...
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Customs and Border Protection
The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed or troubled projects from around the world.
Department of Homeland Security – USA
Project type : Staff recruitment
Date : Apr 2019
Cost : $23M to hire 22 new staff
Synopsis :
In 2016, as part of the USA's renewed focus on border security, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) was charged with increasing the number of border agents who secure the nation's points of entry. The goal was to ...
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Teddy bear madness
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Build-a-Bear Workshop – USA & Canada
Project type : Sales promotion
Date : Jul 2018
Cost : Undeclared repetitional damage
Synopsis :
It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of an idea and in doing so miss important issues that lie just below the surface. In a marketing campaign gone awry, US based 'Build-a-Bear Workshop' gained world-wide attentio...
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First time home buyers loan program
The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed or troubled projects from around the world.
BC Provincial Government – Canada
Project name : British Columbia Home Owner Mortgage and Equity Partnership program
Project type : Government backed loan program to help first time buyers enter the real estate market
Date : Cancelled Dec 2018
Cost : Unknown
Synopsis :
Between 2002 and 2017 residential property prices in the city of Vancouver, Canada w...
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A380 – Take two
The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed or troubled projects from around the world.
Airbus SAS – France
Project name : A380
Project type : Commercial aircraft development
Date : Feb 2019
Cost : Undeclared, but certainly in the billions of dollars in lost opportunity and other costs.
Synopsis :
An old Danish proverb (sometimes incorrectly attributed to Yogi Berra) quips that "It is difficult to make predictions, especially about the fu...
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Pink Uniforms
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
US Department of Defense – USA
Project type : Military aid
Date : Jun 2017 Cost : $28M
Synopsis :
The United States spends a significant amount of aid money supporting the military of allied countries. With the aim of stabilizing nations and ensuring global security, money is poured into training, equipment and consulting services. A significant amount of t...
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International Donor Agencies – Africa
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
International Donor Agencies – Africa
Project type : Boreholes and wells (developing community water sources)
Date : Jul 2016 Cost : $360M
Synopsis :
One of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) is to increase access to clean water and sanitation facilities for communities that currently lack such facilities. In many rural areas of sub Saharan Africa...
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Jacques Cartier Champlain Bridge Corporation
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Jacques Cartier Champlain Bridge Corporation – Canada
Project type : Highway overpass construction
Date : Oct 2016 Cost : $11M CAD
Synopsis :
Taxpayers often feel that their hard earned dollars aren't being respected by the government officials charged with spending those dollars. In a story that feeds into that narrative, the city of Montreal has recently co...
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