Ben and Jon discuss the when, how, and why modern cities emerged.  They go into many of the key technologies that facilitated this transition and their externalities, both good and bad.  They then talk about some technologies that have shaped cities in the last thirty years and examine what challenges lie before cities in the coming decades.

Why modern cities emerged after the 1850’s

What technologies have shaped cities in recent decades

What challenges cities face in the coming years

1850’s London Cholera Outbreak

History of Sewers

China’s investment in trains

Singapore’s longtime leader: Lee Kuan Yew

Air conditioner invented in 1902, widespread adoption in late 1960’s

Gondolas in South America

La Paz’s Gondolas

Bogota’s Gondolas

NY Roosevelt Island Tramway

USA Violent Crime Peaked in 1980’s

Homicides have declined worldwide since 1990

California Public Transit Upzoning Bill: SB-827

London Green Belt

Polis 001 (the sorting effect)