Architecture & Urban Planning
Buildings, cities, structural engineering, transit, and the built environment
#573: The Death of the Ghost Town: Rethinking Mixed-Use Zoning
Explore how mixed-use zoning is transforming sterile suburbs into vibrant 15-minute cities. Herman and Corn dive into the future of urban living.
#572: Cracking the Code: How Zoning and Policy Shape Our Cities
Why do our cities look the way they do? Herman and Corn dive into the invisible codes, taxes, and global models that define the urban landscape.
#571: Density Without Stress: Building the Perfect City
Explore how "Hermanville" redefines urban density through acoustic architecture, mid-rise blocks, and car-free centers.
#531: Vertical Harvests: Can Skyscrapers Actually Feed a City?
Herman and Corn explore the reality of vertical farming, from Singapore’s high-tech towers to the structural limits of growing food in cities.
#504: Urbanism for Everyone: Building Better Neighborhoods
Tired of "sidewalks to nowhere"? Learn the principles of good urbanism and how to advocate for a more walkable, resilient community.
#503: Dignity in the Golden Years: Vienna’s Housing Safety Net
Discover how Vienna’s social housing system ensures that elderly renters are never forgotten through proactive care and legal protections.
#499: Gentle Urbanism: Why Vienna Works and Jerusalem Struggles
From "whispering asphalt" to social housing, discover how Vienna creates a human-centric city while others struggle with noise and grit.
#481: Steel and Stone: Engineering Jerusalem’s Pilgrimage Road
Discover how modern engineering and ancient history collide beneath the streets of Jerusalem to reveal the legendary 2,000-year-old Pilgrimage Road.
#473: The Price of Progress: Jerusalem’s Light Rail Revolution
Jerusalem is undergoing "open heart surgery." We explore the brutal trade-off between futuristic transit and the survival of today's city life.
#449: Skyscraper Science: The Ultimate No-Drill Rental Hack
Discover how the industrial-grade science behind the Burj Khalifa can help you mount heavy gear without losing your security deposit.
#413: The Skyscraper Lie: Density, Cost, and Jerusalem’s Future
Are luxury towers solving the housing crisis? Explore the "rocket equation" of architecture and why height doesn't always equal density.
#408: Why Can't We Build a Mile Into the Sky?
From vortex shedding to the elevator paradox, Herman and Corn explore the physical and economic limits of building the world's tallest towers.
#407: The Vertical Revolution: Why Your Old Elevator Won’t Fall
Ever wonder why rickety old elevators stay upright? Explore the engineering behind safety inspections and the hidden power of modern lift tech.
#406: Policing Shekels, Losing Dollars: The Transit Friction Crisis
Exploring how aggressive transit enforcement creates high-stress cities and why "policing shekels" might be costing us the future of green mobility.
#375: Firmness, Commodity, and Delight: A Guide to Architecture
Explore the evolution of architecture from ancient pyramids to digital twins, and learn why a building needs firmness, commodity, and delight.
#345: Remote Work 2026: The Great Compromise and Polycentric Hubs
Are office mandates a sign of failure or a "Great Compromise"? Herman and Corn dive into the shifting landscape of remote work in 2026.
#327: Why 80,000 People Moved to a Desert 5,000 Years Ago
From ancient Uruk to the "agricultural wall," explore why humans choose crowded cities over open spaces and the hidden costs of our urban obsession.
#316: The Architecture Cult: Why Our Cities Feel So Alien
Why do we love old neighborhoods but feel uneasy in modern towers? We explore the "cult" of architecture and the quest for a human-scale city.
#204: Jerusalem’s Vertical Revolution: Skyscrapers vs. City Soul
Corn and Herman explore the rise of luxury towers in Jerusalem, the "ghost apartment" crisis, and how global cities fight urban displacement.