I think most that could have been said on this topic has been covered by the other comments. I’ll share an anecdote however on how ‘just build’ without impedance can lead to societal tech debt:
I live down the street from an underutilized former industrial complex. For over a decade now, the owners have planned a rehab to demolish old buildings and construct brand new shiny biotech offices (note: I live in a biotech hub, land is very expensive).
so why has it taken so long? Sure there’s your usual culprits like zoning review and environmental negotiations to cut down mature trees, but the real reason is debt from the 1920s. In the authors vaunted era of building, in the 1920s and 30s, the industrial complex built asbestos products. Now there are fine asbestos fibers in the soil across the entire complex, and demolition/construction will obviously disturb them from where they are currently at rest. This is an actual health hazard to the entire community and the workers, not just mere red tape.
It’s easy to forget because factories have largely moved out of the country, but regulations exist to protect our soil, our water, our air, and our health. We don’t need to create future superfund sites to satisfy our desire to move fast and build things.
I live down the street from an underutilized former industrial complex. For over a decade now, the owners have planned a rehab to demolish old buildings and construct brand new shiny biotech offices (note: I live in a biotech hub, land is very expensive).
so why has it taken so long? Sure there’s your usual culprits like zoning review and environmental negotiations to cut down mature trees, but the real reason is debt from the 1920s. In the authors vaunted era of building, in the 1920s and 30s, the industrial complex built asbestos products. Now there are fine asbestos fibers in the soil across the entire complex, and demolition/construction will obviously disturb them from where they are currently at rest. This is an actual health hazard to the entire community and the workers, not just mere red tape.
It’s easy to forget because factories have largely moved out of the country, but regulations exist to protect our soil, our water, our air, and our health. We don’t need to create future superfund sites to satisfy our desire to move fast and build things.