Architecture & Urban Planning
Buildings, cities, structural engineering, transit, and the built environment
#3256: The Seasteading Dream That Sank
Silicon Valley tried to build floating nations. The ocean and the law had other plans.
#3251: Can One Person Really Build a Whole House?
The romantic fantasy vs. the 3,200-hour reality of solo house construction.
#3250: Where Does Unclaimed Land Still Exist?
Every habitable square meter on Earth is claimed. Here's how we got here and what that means for buyers.
#3243: Are We Modern Serfs? Land, Rent & Feudalism
How land ownership patterns mirror medieval feudalism—and what Henry George proposed to fix it.
#3240: How to Design Cities for People, Not Cars
The thinkers and interventions reshaping urban streets — without banning cars.
#3231: Hand-Painted Signs: The Lost Art of Enamel and Ruling Pens
Why enamel paint and ruling pens dominated sign painting for a century—and where to find them today.
#3219: What It Actually Takes to Get an ICAO Code for Your Airstrip
Only 5,000 of 45,000 ICAO-coded airfields are certified for safety. The rest? "Land at own risk.
#3212: Why Eilat Has 3 Airports for 55,000 People
Israel’s southernmost city is a tourism powerhouse with a neglected core. The VAT zone, land policies, and three airports tell the story.
#3198: Why Architects Still Use 1963 Pens
Why architects still use isographic pens and parallel rules in 2026 — and what that teaches us about thinking through our hands.
#3194: Four Schools of Urbanism After Jane Jacobs
Beyond Jacobs vs. Moses: mapping the four intellectual camps shaping today's cities.
#3193: Connected Villages: The Real Alternative to Suburban Sprawl
What if suburbs didn't require a car for everything? Exploring transit-first city planning that actually works.
#3192: Jane Jacobs Made Simple: How Cities Really Work
Decoding the four conditions for thriving cities from the woman who took on Robert Moses.
#3191: Why Israeli Housing Feels Like an Oven
European concrete ideals meet Middle Eastern sun, creating a housing crisis baked into the walls.
#3190: Architects Are Actually Ergonomists
What architects actually do vs. what pop culture shows you — and why it matters for how spaces feel.
#3187: Why Six Stories Became the Global Default
How human legs, fire ladders, and elevator economics all converged on the same building height.
#3186: Walkable Cities Don't Have to Be Loud
Why walkable neighborhoods feel cramped and loud — and how to fix it without sacrificing density.
#3180: How to Turn Housing Rage Into Real Power in Jerusalem
Grassroots organizing strategies for turning frustration over luxury towers into real municipal leverage.
#3179: Counting Lights to Measure Empty Skyscrapers
How researchers and citizens use window light counts to estimate real building occupancy.
#3178: Can Mixed-Use Buildings Actually Work for Residents?
Privacy, noise, and traffic aren't unsolvable — they're design failures. Here's what actually works.
#3177: Why Jerusalem Towers Are Empty While Blocks Thrive
Towers aren't fixing Israel's housing crisis. Here's why traditional blocks actually work better — and how to prove it.