Episode Details

On living with modernity.

Richard J Williams talks to Alex and George about his new book, The Expressway World and how cities have adapted to the infrastructural legacies of the mid-20th century. We talk about New York, London, São Paulo, Madrid, Glasgow and Seoul.

• Why do people hate expressways – and who actually loves them?

• What are Big Man cities? How do expressways bring together populism, authoritarianism, and capital?

• Why is the antidote to 20th century car-centricity always gentrified and sanitised public space?

• What are the class struggles that emerge over the expressway world?

• Is there a basic lie behind many "ecological" infrastructure projects?

Links:

• The Expressway World, Richard J Williams, Polity

• Intersections, Owen Hatherley, Sidecar

• /113/ Globoville ft. Richard Williams