Urban Design
194 episodes · Page 7 of 9
#2530: Canals as Highways: The Real Pollution Math of Water Transit
Venice moves garbage, ambulances, and Amazon deliveries by boat. How does water transit actually compare to buses on pollution?
#2521: Are We Really Worse Off Than Our Ancestors?
A look at 700 years of wages, housing costs, and what "purchasing power" actually means today.
#2509: How Shabbat Reveals a Blind Spot in Air Quality Indexes
Jerusalem's Shabbat cuts traffic pollution 4x more than Western weekends—but standard air quality indexes barely register the change.
#2485: How Many Floors Up Before Stairs Become a Burden?
Research shows life gets measurably worse above the 4th floor. Here's what the data says about stairs, families, and safety.
#1976: What Counts as a City That Never Dies?
From Jericho's water spring to Aleppo's Silk Road fortress, discover the secrets of 11,000 years of urban survival.
#1899: Why Japan's Vending Machines Thrive While America's Struggle
From Roman holy water to Japan’s soup-dispensing giants, we explore why vending machines jam—and why America’s are stuck in the past.
#1880: Militaries Build Fake Cities to Train for War
Why armies pour concrete to build fake cities instead of just using VR.
#1760: Why Sloths Keep Dying on Roads and Power Lines
Sloths are getting trapped in cities, but a simple rope bridge is saving hundreds from highways and power lines.
#1563: The Last Mile of Civil Defense
Can 20cm of concrete stop a half-ton missile? Explore the brutal physics and economic impossibility of the 3-meter safe room standard.
#1518: The Bedroom Bottleneck: Housing vs. The Biological Clock
As the age of first-time buyers hits 40, a new crisis emerges. Is the three-bedroom house becoming the world's most effective birth control?
#1444: The $4 Trillion Engine: How Municipal Bonds Build the World
Discover how the $4 trillion municipal bond market funds our physical world and why these assets are a strategic powerhouse for modern investors.
#1340: Beyond the Stepping Stone: The Power of Local Government
Is your city council just a stepping stone? Discover why local governance is the real foundation of our daily lives and how to get involved.
#1306: The Psychology of Hidden Places
Think you’ve seen all of Israel? Explore the "blind spots" of the map and the hidden micro-geographies that tourists and locals overlook.
#1287: The Siege of Cows’ Garden: Jerusalem’s Armenian Crisis
A 1,600-year-old community faces an existential threat from a secret land deal and a luxury hotel project in the heart of Jerusalem.
#1243: How to Hack a Smart Home for the Sabbath
How do you navigate a smart home when you can't flip a switch? Explore the engineering behind making modern technology Shabbat-compliant.
#1184: Hyper-Local Pay: AI and the New Cost-of-Living Index
National wage averages are failing workers. Discover how AI is creating hyper-local cost-of-living indices to revolutionize how we value labor.
#1163: Divided by Concrete: Israel’s Civil Defense Crisis
Over half of Israeli homes lack a safe room. We explore the dangerous gap between high-tech defense and the crumbling concrete reality.
#1139: Subterranean Urbanism: Is the Future of Cities Underground?
Could your next apartment be 60 feet underground? Explore the tech, health, and costs of moving our cities below the surface.
#1092: The Landscape Reader: Geolocation Beyond Metadata
Master the art of geolocation by reading physical clues like vegetation, shadows, and road markings—no metadata required.
#1022: Spatial Hacking: The Art of Radical Staycationing
Stop traveling to escape and start exploring where you live. Discover the psychology of spatial hacking and the art of the radical staycation.
#982: Jerusalem’s Street Cats: A History of Urban Evolution
Explore how Jerusalem became one of the world's most cat-dense cities, from British Mandate rat catchers to modern urban survivors.
#908: Why Did We Forget How to Build Cheap Subways?
Why does a mile of subway cost billions today? Herman and Corn explore the hidden complexities and rising costs of modern urban transit.
#736: When Streetlights Hijack Your Sleep Clock
Are harsh streetlights ruining your sleep? Explore the science of why cities are switching to red and amber lighting for better health.
#638: When Buildings Heal Your Nervous System
Can a building actually heal your nervous system? Discover how neuro-design uses science to create spaces that reduce stress and spark creativity.