566. Why Is It So Hard (and Expensive) to Build Anything in America?

<p>Most industries have become more productive over time. But not construction! We identify the causes — and possible solutions. (Can you say ... “prefab”?)<br /> </p><p>RESOURCES:</p><ul><li>"<a href="https://bfi.uchicago.edu/working-paper/the-strange-and-awful-path-of-productivity-in-the-u-s-construction-sector/">The Strange and Awful Path of Productivity in the US Construction Sector</a>," by Austan Goolsbee and Chad Syverson (<i>BFI Working Paper, </i>2023).</li><li>"<a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3428675">Infrastructure Costs</a>," by Leah Brooks and Zachary D. Liscow (<i>American Economic Journal: Applied, </i>2023).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/25/business/land-purchases-solano-county.html">The Silicon Valley Elite Who Want to Build a City From Scratch</a>," by Conor Dougherty and Erin Griffith (<i>The New York Times, </i>2023).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/A-Decent-Home-the-Report.pdf">A Decent Home</a>," report by the President's Committee on Urban Housing (1968).</li></ul><p>EXTRAS:</p><ul><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/edward-glaeser-explains-why-some-cities-thrive-while-others-fade-away/">Edward Glaeser Explains Why Some Cities Thrive While Others Fade Away</a>," by <i>People I (Mostly) Admire </i>(2021).</li><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-are-cities-still-so-expensive-ep-435/">Why Are Cities (Still) So Expensive?</a>" by <i>Freakonomics Radio </i>(2020).</li></ul>