Beneath the Surface: An Infrastructure Podcast

The price of housing in major cities has, over the past few decades, far outpaced the cost of construction. The immediate effects of the housing crunch are generally well-understood: productivity suffers when people aren’t able to live near the jobs they want. Still, there are reasons to be optimistic. Advocates of building more housing are gaining important victories all around the world—but it remains to be seen whether or not these victories will prove to be lasting.

Show Notes

The price of housing in major cities has, over the past few decades, far outpaced the cost of construction. The immediate effects of the housing crunch are generally well-understood: productivity suffers when people aren’t able to live near the jobs they want.

But there are other, less-explored effects of the crunch: an increase in obesity (as folks become more sedentary due to longer commutes and a lack of walkable suburbs), a decrease in birth rates (as housing is often the biggest expense for families, making it difficult to realize their ideal family size), climate change, and inequity. Still, there are reasons to be optimistic. Advocates of building more housing are gaining important victories all around the world—but it remains to be seen whether or not these victories will prove to be lasting. 

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What is Beneath the Surface: An Infrastructure Podcast?

Infrastructure is—finally—having its moment. From transit systems to supply chains, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and others are evaluating whether our civic infrastructure is up to the task of supporting a growing—and warming—globe.

In each episode of Beneath the Surface, we explore some of the most complicated challenges facing our world, and talk to the people who are rolling up their sleeves to build solutions.

Find out more about Stripe Press: https://press.stripe.com