Built Environment
Architecture, urban planning, infrastructure, and housing
7 episodes
#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?
#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.
#2452: How BIM Cascades Work Like a Database (But Different)
How BIM's cascading changes eliminate coordination errors — and where the SQL analogy breaks down.
#2117: The Physics of Finding Life Under Rubble
How search and rescue teams use engineering, radar, and sound to find survivors in collapsed buildings.
#1976: How Cities Survive 11,000 Years
From Jericho's water spring to Aleppo's Silk Road fortress, discover the secrets of 11,000 years of urban survival.
#1795: Living in a Tin Can on Mercury, Mars, or Venus
Explore the wild psychology and engineering needed to build cities on Mercury, Mars, and Venus.
#1742: The Golden Cage of Dimona
Dimona offers property at 1/8th the price of Tel Aviv, but a massive "opportunity gap" keeps the city marooned.