Architecture & Urban Planning
Buildings, cities, structural engineering, transit, and the built environment
#499: Gentle Urbanism: Why Vienna Works and Jerusalem Struggles
From "whispering asphalt" to social housing, discover how Vienna creates a human-centric city while others struggle with noise and grit.
#481: Steel and Stone: Engineering Jerusalem’s Pilgrimage Road
Discover how modern engineering and ancient history collide beneath the streets of Jerusalem to reveal the legendary 2,000-year-old Pilgrimage Road.
#473: The Price of Progress: Jerusalem’s Light Rail Revolution
Jerusalem is undergoing "open heart surgery." We explore the brutal trade-off between futuristic transit and the survival of today's city life.
#449: Why Your Tape Fails: The Physics of Structural Bonding
Discover how the industrial-grade science behind the Burj Khalifa can help you mount heavy gear without losing your security deposit.
#444: How to Spot a Real Estate Money Pit: The Property Triage
Learn how to distinguish between "good bones" and expensive structural failures when touring potential fixer-upper properties.
#413: The Skyscraper Lie: Density, Cost, and Jerusalem’s Future
Are luxury towers solving the housing crisis? Explore the "rocket equation" of architecture and why height doesn't always equal density.
#408: Why Can't We Build a Mile Into the Sky?
From vortex shedding to the elevator paradox, Herman and Corn explore the physical and economic limits of building the world's tallest towers.
#407: Why Your Elevator Feels Unsafe but Isn't
Ever wonder why rickety old elevators stay upright? Explore the engineering behind safety inspections and the hidden power of modern lift tech.
#406: Policing Shekels, Losing Dollars: The Transit Friction Crisis
Exploring how aggressive transit enforcement creates high-stress cities and why "policing shekels" might be costing us the future of green mobility.
#375: What Architecture Actually Is
Explore the evolution of architecture from ancient pyramids to digital twins, and learn why a building needs firmness, commodity, and delight.
#360: The Ghost Towers of Jerusalem: Luxury for Whom?
Why are luxury towers rising in Israel's poorest city? Herman and Corn dive into the "ghost apartment" crisis and the future of urban housing.
#345: Remote Work 2026: The Great Compromise and Polycentric Hubs
Are office mandates a sign of failure or a "Great Compromise"? Herman and Corn dive into the shifting landscape of remote work in 2026.
#327: Why We Choose to Live on Top of Each Other
From ancient Uruk to the "agricultural wall," explore why humans choose crowded cities over open spaces and the hidden costs of our urban obsession.
#326: Escaping the Gridlock: Israel’s Car-Free Revolution
Can Israel break its car addiction? Herman and Corn explore the shift from gridlock to a human-scale, transit-first society.
#316: The Broken Chain of Design
Why do we love old neighborhoods but feel uneasy in modern towers? We explore the "cult" of architecture and the quest for a human-scale city.
#300: Fixing the Rental Crisis: Lessons from Around the Globe
Explore how the UK, Netherlands, and Vienna are reimagining housing as a fundamental right rather than a speculative asset.
#274: The Operating System of Global Order
Discover the invisible rules of global power. Herman and Corn explore how flag placement and seating charts keep the world running smoothly.
#204: The Ghost Towers of Jerusalem
Corn and Herman explore the rise of luxury towers in Jerusalem, the "ghost apartment" crisis, and how global cities fight urban displacement.
#150: Will AI Finally Shut Up Your Neighbor’s Car Horn?
Urban noise is more than an annoyance—it’s a health crisis. Discover how AI sensors are being used to silence the streets and the privacy costs.
#149: The Infrastructure of a Desert Metropolis
Herman and Corn explore the engineering hurdles of building a sustainable, high-tech metropolis in the heart of the Negev desert.