Phil BuildTheFutureNow
@philsustainability.bsky.social
Economics and sustainability
Wealthy suburbs make a brutal trade-off: restrict housing to inflate their own home values, knowingly creating a regional homelessness crisis. Some then build minimal shelters (in industrial zones) or ban them entirely, pushing the problem to other towns. A policy choice, not an accident.
December 5, 2025 at 2:56 AM
Wealthy suburbs make a brutal trade-off: restrict housing to inflate their own home values, knowingly creating a regional homelessness crisis. Some then build minimal shelters (in industrial zones) or ban them entirely, pushing the problem to other towns. A policy choice, not an accident.
We’d expect the suburbs to be falling in price quickly with the rest of the nation, but NYC suburbs are going up in price fast. Wealthy New Yorkers Are Preparing for a Mayoral Election Exodus—Sparking Luxury Bidding War in Affluent Suburbs.
www.realtor.com/news/trends/...
www.realtor.com/news/trends/...
www.realtor.com
December 5, 2025 at 1:03 AM
We’d expect the suburbs to be falling in price quickly with the rest of the nation, but NYC suburbs are going up in price fast. Wealthy New Yorkers Are Preparing for a Mayoral Election Exodus—Sparking Luxury Bidding War in Affluent Suburbs.
www.realtor.com/news/trends/...
www.realtor.com/news/trends/...
NYC residents: We pay income tax to fund the city’s services.
Suburban commuters: Drive in, use our streets, sanitation, safety, and infrastructure daily, but pay $0 NYC income tax.
That’s not fair. NYC should lower income tax for residents and charge for on-street parking.
Suburban commuters: Drive in, use our streets, sanitation, safety, and infrastructure daily, but pay $0 NYC income tax.
That’s not fair. NYC should lower income tax for residents and charge for on-street parking.
December 4, 2025 at 8:07 PM
NYC residents: We pay income tax to fund the city’s services.
Suburban commuters: Drive in, use our streets, sanitation, safety, and infrastructure daily, but pay $0 NYC income tax.
That’s not fair. NYC should lower income tax for residents and charge for on-street parking.
Suburban commuters: Drive in, use our streets, sanitation, safety, and infrastructure daily, but pay $0 NYC income tax.
That’s not fair. NYC should lower income tax for residents and charge for on-street parking.
NYC’s rent stabilization is meant to protect vulnerable tenants, not subsidize six-figure earners. If you make over $200K and live in a rent-stabilized home, you’re holding a spot someone truly needs.
December 4, 2025 at 5:56 PM
NYC’s rent stabilization is meant to protect vulnerable tenants, not subsidize six-figure earners. If you make over $200K and live in a rent-stabilized home, you’re holding a spot someone truly needs.
Cars and walkable neighborhoods are incompatible technologies. We plan cities for cars, which forces us to limit homes. This engineered scarcity makes walkability a luxury good and housing unaffordable. It's a systems design failure.
December 4, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Cars and walkable neighborhoods are incompatible technologies. We plan cities for cars, which forces us to limit homes. This engineered scarcity makes walkability a luxury good and housing unaffordable. It's a systems design failure.
Time for Errol Morris to break out the Interrotron.
December 4, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Time for Errol Morris to break out the Interrotron.
If a town of 100,000 people all drove a Prius (57 mpg) instead of an older car (25 mpg)...
At $3/gal, driving 15k miles/year for 10 years:
Prius Town spends: ~$789 million
Old Car Town spends: ~$1.8 billion
That's over $1 BILLION saved.
Per driver? About $10,000 extra in your pocket.
At $3/gal, driving 15k miles/year for 10 years:
Prius Town spends: ~$789 million
Old Car Town spends: ~$1.8 billion
That's over $1 BILLION saved.
Per driver? About $10,000 extra in your pocket.
December 4, 2025 at 3:51 AM
If a town of 100,000 people all drove a Prius (57 mpg) instead of an older car (25 mpg)...
At $3/gal, driving 15k miles/year for 10 years:
Prius Town spends: ~$789 million
Old Car Town spends: ~$1.8 billion
That's over $1 BILLION saved.
Per driver? About $10,000 extra in your pocket.
At $3/gal, driving 15k miles/year for 10 years:
Prius Town spends: ~$789 million
Old Car Town spends: ~$1.8 billion
That's over $1 BILLION saved.
Per driver? About $10,000 extra in your pocket.
Trump should use federal eminent domain to buy low-density land in high-wage metros.
Demolish, upzone for 60-story residential, then sell to developers at market rate with a 99-year ground lease.
Profits recycle to fund the next project. Free money printer
Demolish, upzone for 60-story residential, then sell to developers at market rate with a 99-year ground lease.
Profits recycle to fund the next project. Free money printer
December 2, 2025 at 11:40 PM
Trump should use federal eminent domain to buy low-density land in high-wage metros.
Demolish, upzone for 60-story residential, then sell to developers at market rate with a 99-year ground lease.
Profits recycle to fund the next project. Free money printer
Demolish, upzone for 60-story residential, then sell to developers at market rate with a 99-year ground lease.
Profits recycle to fund the next project. Free money printer
German intelligence services assess that Russia is creating the option for a war against NATO by 2029 at the latest. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has publicly stated that Russia "could be ready to use military force against NATO within five years". www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
The week Europe realised it stands alone against Russian expansionism
Washington’s Putin-appeasing plan for peace in Ukraine has failed, but many heard death knell sounded for European reliance on US protection
www.theguardian.com
December 2, 2025 at 4:45 PM
German intelligence services assess that Russia is creating the option for a war against NATO by 2029 at the latest. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has publicly stated that Russia "could be ready to use military force against NATO within five years". www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
1. Which companies are agile adopters of efficient AI, not just capital spenders?
2. Who has pricing power if AI becomes a commoditized utility?
3. Is the market overestimating linear growth in power, chips, and spending?
#deepseek
2. Who has pricing power if AI becomes a commoditized utility?
3. Is the market overestimating linear growth in power, chips, and spending?
#deepseek
December 2, 2025 at 1:58 PM
1. Which companies are agile adopters of efficient AI, not just capital spenders?
2. Who has pricing power if AI becomes a commoditized utility?
3. Is the market overestimating linear growth in power, chips, and spending?
#deepseek
2. Who has pricing power if AI becomes a commoditized utility?
3. Is the market overestimating linear growth in power, chips, and spending?
#deepseek
Parking for cars?
Jersey City grew parking for… 781 homes instead. (2012-2025 at 99 Hudson)
Jersey City grew parking for… 781 homes instead. (2012-2025 at 99 Hudson)
December 2, 2025 at 3:01 AM
Parking for cars?
Jersey City grew parking for… 781 homes instead. (2012-2025 at 99 Hudson)
Jersey City grew parking for… 781 homes instead. (2012-2025 at 99 Hudson)
Remember when Ukraine was the 3rd largest nuclear superpower? It gave all that up in 1994 in exchange for a promise.
The promise? The U.S. and Russia signed a deal to protect Ukraine from invasion if it disarmed.
They took the nukes. We all know how that promise turned out.
The promise? The U.S. and Russia signed a deal to protect Ukraine from invasion if it disarmed.
They took the nukes. We all know how that promise turned out.
December 2, 2025 at 1:45 AM
Remember when Ukraine was the 3rd largest nuclear superpower? It gave all that up in 1994 in exchange for a promise.
The promise? The U.S. and Russia signed a deal to protect Ukraine from invasion if it disarmed.
They took the nukes. We all know how that promise turned out.
The promise? The U.S. and Russia signed a deal to protect Ukraine from invasion if it disarmed.
They took the nukes. We all know how that promise turned out.
Even tiny takeout spots work here. We can fight over who has the best bagel (I like la bagel delight and suckers). it’s just cool that small startup places can compete. #financialdistrict
December 2, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Even tiny takeout spots work here. We can fight over who has the best bagel (I like la bagel delight and suckers). it’s just cool that small startup places can compete. #financialdistrict
NJ transit trains should be automated running every 5 minutes day and night and weekends by now.
December 1, 2025 at 4:16 PM
NJ transit trains should be automated running every 5 minutes day and night and weekends by now.
The 1980s playbook: Slash corporate & capital gains taxes so the rising tide lifts all boats.
The 2020s result: The tide was used to fund the robots & AI now throwing workers overboard. We didn't get higher wages, we subsidized our own obsolescence and record stock buybacks
The 2020s result: The tide was used to fund the robots & AI now throwing workers overboard. We didn't get higher wages, we subsidized our own obsolescence and record stock buybacks
November 30, 2025 at 8:47 PM
The 1980s playbook: Slash corporate & capital gains taxes so the rising tide lifts all boats.
The 2020s result: The tide was used to fund the robots & AI now throwing workers overboard. We didn't get higher wages, we subsidized our own obsolescence and record stock buybacks
The 2020s result: The tide was used to fund the robots & AI now throwing workers overboard. We didn't get higher wages, we subsidized our own obsolescence and record stock buybacks
The math of modern transit: An Uber blocks a bus with 40 people for 5 minutes to pick up 1 passenger. (Plus the line of cars behind that)
That's 200+ minutes of collective time wasted for one person's convenience.
This is the entitled, inefficient system we've chosen.
That's 200+ minutes of collective time wasted for one person's convenience.
This is the entitled, inefficient system we've chosen.
November 30, 2025 at 8:23 PM
The math of modern transit: An Uber blocks a bus with 40 people for 5 minutes to pick up 1 passenger. (Plus the line of cars behind that)
That's 200+ minutes of collective time wasted for one person's convenience.
This is the entitled, inefficient system we've chosen.
That's 200+ minutes of collective time wasted for one person's convenience.
This is the entitled, inefficient system we've chosen.
Florida buyers beware
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/30/c...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/30/c...
November 30, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Florida buyers beware
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/30/c...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/30/c...
Pro Tip: Want higher utility bills? Be sure to ask your local stores to keep their doors wide open this winter.
It's a small price to pay (on your utility bill) to help our fossil fuel producers achieve record-breaking quarterly profits.
#EnergyWaste
It's a small price to pay (on your utility bill) to help our fossil fuel producers achieve record-breaking quarterly profits.
#EnergyWaste
November 30, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Pro Tip: Want higher utility bills? Be sure to ask your local stores to keep their doors wide open this winter.
It's a small price to pay (on your utility bill) to help our fossil fuel producers achieve record-breaking quarterly profits.
#EnergyWaste
It's a small price to pay (on your utility bill) to help our fossil fuel producers achieve record-breaking quarterly profits.
#EnergyWaste
📖 ☕️ 🎄 🌎🌱
November 30, 2025 at 4:23 AM
📖 ☕️ 🎄 🌎🌱
Tariffs are a hidden tax that fuels inflation. The Fed then hikes rates to fight it.
Higher rates mean the US government pays MORE to finance our $33T debt.
The shocking part? This added interest cost is now greater than the total revenue the tariffs bring in.
Higher rates mean the US government pays MORE to finance our $33T debt.
The shocking part? This added interest cost is now greater than the total revenue the tariffs bring in.
November 29, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Tariffs are a hidden tax that fuels inflation. The Fed then hikes rates to fight it.
Higher rates mean the US government pays MORE to finance our $33T debt.
The shocking part? This added interest cost is now greater than the total revenue the tariffs bring in.
Higher rates mean the US government pays MORE to finance our $33T debt.
The shocking part? This added interest cost is now greater than the total revenue the tariffs bring in.
Gridlock's a feature, not a bug. Without mass transit, congestion's a wall of time used to limit access to jobs, raising property values & keeping the haves & have-nots separate
November 29, 2025 at 8:22 PM
Gridlock's a feature, not a bug. Without mass transit, congestion's a wall of time used to limit access to jobs, raising property values & keeping the haves & have-nots separate
Progressives won’t tolerate imperfection (it’s immoral), and MAGA won’t commit to long-term interest (it’s not an immediate win).
The result? America can’t achieve stable, long-term strategy because both poles are defined by ideology over what’s possible. Side effects can be war. World war.
The result? America can’t achieve stable, long-term strategy because both poles are defined by ideology over what’s possible. Side effects can be war. World war.
PhilBuildTheFutureNow (@philbuildthefuturenow)
This is a grade-A certified mess. We’ve got a system failure, a political fission reaction where two opposite forces are destroying the concept of Realpolitik at the same time. It’s like trying to bui...
substack.com
November 29, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Progressives won’t tolerate imperfection (it’s immoral), and MAGA won’t commit to long-term interest (it’s not an immediate win).
The result? America can’t achieve stable, long-term strategy because both poles are defined by ideology over what’s possible. Side effects can be war. World war.
The result? America can’t achieve stable, long-term strategy because both poles are defined by ideology over what’s possible. Side effects can be war. World war.
they have $25 point & shoot digital cameras 📸 at the flea market #brooklynflea
November 29, 2025 at 4:56 PM
they have $25 point & shoot digital cameras 📸 at the flea market #brooklynflea
The number 1 most iconic technology of 2025?
Congestion pricing, hands down best tech innovation in America.
Congestion pricing, hands down best tech innovation in America.
November 29, 2025 at 3:23 PM
The number 1 most iconic technology of 2025?
Congestion pricing, hands down best tech innovation in America.
Congestion pricing, hands down best tech innovation in America.
I miss when social media was just a grainy photo of a sunset with the caption "lol." No pressure, no algorithms, just random pets and the Mayfair filter. A simpler time
November 29, 2025 at 4:02 AM
I miss when social media was just a grainy photo of a sunset with the caption "lol." No pressure, no algorithms, just random pets and the Mayfair filter. A simpler time