Devon Zuegel

And I think a lot of people don't realize that that is possible. And so maybe don't take the step to try and don't get me wrong. You're not going to convince everybody, but many people I think are much more amenable to conversation and trying to find common ground than you might originally think.

And I think a lot of people don't realize that that is possible. And so maybe don't take the step to try and don't get me wrong. You're not going to convince everybody, but many people I think are much more amenable to conversation and trying to find common ground than you might originally think.

Yeah. So first, I want to say I am not anti-car. Actually, I really love cars. And I think in my ideal world, they would still be there. But I think of cars the way I think of horses, where they're a really cool hobby and they have some cool applications. But we maybe shouldn't be shaping our entire cities around horses. So first, I want to say that up front.

Yeah. So first, I want to say I am not anti-car. Actually, I really love cars. And I think in my ideal world, they would still be there. But I think of cars the way I think of horses, where they're a really cool hobby and they have some cool applications. But we maybe shouldn't be shaping our entire cities around horses. So first, I want to say that up front.

Sometimes people think that I hate cars or people in this direction hate cars. So you were asking earlier about why people don't build new towns anymore. And I think another answer to that question is at different times, there are new frontiers that open up.

Sometimes people think that I hate cars or people in this direction hate cars. So you were asking earlier about why people don't build new towns anymore. And I think another answer to that question is at different times, there are new frontiers that open up.

And so when railroads started to become a big deal in the United States, suddenly land that was previously inaccessible from transportation ended up having a train station on it and towns would sprout up around those transportation hubs. And cars had a similar effect, which was previously people had to stay within walking or pretty short distance of their home and their work.

And so when railroads started to become a big deal in the United States, suddenly land that was previously inaccessible from transportation ended up having a train station on it and towns would sprout up around those transportation hubs. And cars had a similar effect, which was previously people had to stay within walking or pretty short distance of their home and their work.

And maybe they had some public transportation, like trains or trams, that could take them around. But they were constrained in how far they could go easily. The car opened up a new frontier on the outskirts of cities, and that's how we ended up getting most of our suburbs in America. And on one hand... it really increased the opportunities that people had.

And maybe they had some public transportation, like trains or trams, that could take them around. But they were constrained in how far they could go easily. The car opened up a new frontier on the outskirts of cities, and that's how we ended up getting most of our suburbs in America. And on one hand... it really increased the opportunities that people had.

People were excited to suddenly be able to go a little farther off the periphery and have more space and have more land. So I think in some ways it was great. However, I also think of cities as a bunch of coordination problems. And there's many we can get into, but I'll speak to one in particular, which is that

People were excited to suddenly be able to go a little farther off the periphery and have more space and have more land. So I think in some ways it was great. However, I also think of cities as a bunch of coordination problems. And there's many we can get into, but I'll speak to one in particular, which is that

everybody's always making a trade-off between, on one hand, people generally want more space. All things equal, people will take more space.

everybody's always making a trade-off between, on one hand, people generally want more space. All things equal, people will take more space.

If you could have a mansion in the middle of Manhattan and have the one house in the middle of Central Park and have all of Central Park as your own private yard, and then also have all the amenities of Manhattan around you, I think a lot of people would take that trade. That would be the most popular house on the market, probably in all of America.

If you could have a mansion in the middle of Manhattan and have the one house in the middle of Central Park and have all of Central Park as your own private yard, and then also have all the amenities of Manhattan around you, I think a lot of people would take that trade. That would be the most popular house on the market, probably in all of America.

But on the other hand, people want access to amenities. They want access to their friends. They want to have access to job opportunities. And those two goals are directly at odds with each other. If you just think of the geometry of it, if you are closer together, there are more things close to you, but it also means that you have less space.

But on the other hand, people want access to amenities. They want access to their friends. They want to have access to job opportunities. And those two goals are directly at odds with each other. If you just think of the geometry of it, if you are closer together, there are more things close to you, but it also means that you have less space.

One thing that happened naturally before we had the car was that people naturally stayed close together and there was very high amenity value. You could access all sorts of things within walking distance because everybody else was also within walking distance. As the

One thing that happened naturally before we had the car was that people naturally stayed close together and there was very high amenity value. You could access all sorts of things within walking distance because everybody else was also within walking distance. As the