Samenvatting

To get a better understanding of the maniac mechanism that can take place behind the scenes of prestigious projects, we need to further explore practices within the world of commercial real estate that are usually hidden from the public, including public administration. This article presents a conversation with a Dutch research journalist that became famous after his bestseller books about real estate fraud, and his hundreds of national newspaper articles about all kinds of integrity issues. This article delivers insights in the maniac character of commercial real estate within a vulnerable public context. The article demonstrates cases of fraudulent private entrepreneurs and public officials, examples of blind spots in the public management of urban projects that are developed in partnership with commercial real estate firms, and also cases of public failure in preventing integrity issues.