54 min listen
Why Is It So Expensive to Build Stuff in America?
Why Is It So Expensive to Build Stuff in America?
ratings:
Length:
53 minutes
Released:
Sep 12, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
We're in the midst of a great affordability crisis. It's not just the inflation crisis. It's a greater cost crisis of the last few decades. Everything that matters most in life—health care, housing, education—is getting more and more expensive. Why? One way to investigate this question is to look at the cost and speed of building physical things in America. We build urban transit more slowly than we used to, we build highways more slowly than we used to, we build energy infrastructure more slowly than we used to, we build skyscrapers more slowly than we used to, and we build housing more slowly than we used to. Brian Potter, the author of the newsletter 'Construction Physics,' explains the forces behind the great slowdown, why it matters, and how to turn things around.
If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com.
Host: Derek Thompson
Guest: Brian Potter
Producer: Devon Manze
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com.
Host: Derek Thompson
Guest: Brian Potter
Producer: Devon Manze
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Released:
Sep 12, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode
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