Urban Design
194 episodes · Page 4 of 9
#3987: When the Street Opens Up: Underground Collapse in Israeli Cities
Why do streets suddenly collapse? Aging pipes, not construction, are the real culprit.
#3981: Can a City Designed From Scratch Actually Work?
Brasília, Chandigarh, Canberra — why expert-designed cities often feel lifeless compared to organic ones like Jerusalem.
#3980: Sewers from Scratch vs. Victorian Patchwork
Do brand-new sewer systems outperform 150-year-old networks? The surprising answer has an expiration date.
#3979: Why Rain Hits Different in Cork vs Jerusalem
Why moderate rain knocks out power in Jerusalem but not Cork — and what "design return periods" reveal about infrastructure.
#3970: What Does "Bedrock" Actually Mean Under Jerusalem?
Why "hitting bedrock" means different things depending on your building's height and where in Jerusalem you're standing.
#3964: Why Your Building Won't Collapse During Nearby Construction
How engineers keep buildings safe during excavation — it's not luck, it's physics with paperwork.
#3961: The Trolley Test: How Cities Fail Accessibility
A loaded platform trolley reveals what building codes miss about accessibility. What happens when the ramp is technically compliant but functionall...
#3928: How to Park a Moving Van Without Getting Ticketed
Loading zone loopholes, permit traps, and the art of curb negotiation for urban moves.
#3913: Sidewalk Moving Gear: Daisy Chains & Social Engineering
Moving 1-3 miles? Skip the truck. Use daisy-chained dollies, high-vis vests, and smart signage.
#3903: Can We Really Live in the Sky? The Reality of Sky Cities
Skybridges and vertical streets sound futuristic, but the economics and engineering are brutal.
#3897: The Mover's Paradox: Social Jiu-Jitsu for Urban Stealth
How to be invisible to security but unapproachable to everyone else using three layers of social engineering.
#3873: Loving Skyscrapers Without Selling Out Your City
Can you love tall buildings and still fight the inequality they often create?
#3871: How Singapore Solved High-Rise Child Falls
Singapore cut window falls 60% with $15 devices. Why isn't the rest of the world copying them?
#3862: Why Your Books Got the City Centre Wrong
Is the "poor inner city" a literary myth? Jerusalem's luxury towers vs. Dickens' slums.
#3823: How Cities Can Enforce Construction Noise with Real-Time Data
Can cities actually enforce noise limits with real-time sound data? We explore the tech, the gaps, and who's doing it right.
#3809: How 2.4 Million Miles of Gas Pipe Actually Works
The invisible geography under our feet: how gas moves from wellhead to kitchen burner.
#3743: How to Solve the Israeli Apartment Nook Puzzle
A window-access balcony nook in an Israeli apartment: can it actually store anything useful? Yes—with the right ladder and shelving.
#3725: The Tower That Changed Jerusalem's Skyline
How one residential tower on Jaffa Street broke Jerusalem's height barrier and reshaped the city's entrance.
#3711: The Hidden Last Mile: Fiber in Skyscrapers
Getting fiber to the 37th floor is a messy tangle of risers, contracts, and concrete.
#3634: When Building Your Own Island Goes Wrong
A real estate mogul tried to build a libertarian utopia on artificial islands. A king showed up with convicts and a brass band.
#3614: Eurobox Move: The Right Platform Truck for 500 Meters
How a folding 60x40 platform truck and light-duty straps turn a DIY Jerusalem move from nightmare to almost pleasant.
#3599: How Singapore and Japan Master Balanced Land Use
Two radically different approaches to keeping housing, shops, and services mixed together — without leaving it to chance.
#3587: Surviving the Hallway Shuffle: Building Design & Neighbor Awkwardness
Why narrow hallways and tiny elevators make neighborly small talk unavoidable — and what to do about it.
#3536: Flat-Pack Houses vs 3D-Printed Homes: Which Works Now?
Flat-pack, 3D-printed, or moved on a truck? Which alternative housing approach actually works today?