Behind the Scenes: The Hidden Systems That Power Our Everyday Lives: Infrastructure

A new way of seeing the essential systems hidden inside our walls, under our streets, and all around us.

Investigates the systems of infrastructure that sustain the world and the cultures of historical periods, following various elements, from electricity and pavement to water and waste disposal, back to their origins and people who operate them.

We do ridiculous things for parking, contorting our professional, social, and financial lives to get a spot. Since the advent of the car, we have deformed—and in some cases demolished—our homes and our cities in a Sisyphean quest for cheap and convenient car storage. As a result, much of the nation’s most valuable real estate is now devoted exclusively to empty and idle vehicles, even as many Americans struggle to find affordable housing. Can this really be the best use of our finite resources and space? Why have we done this to the places we love? Is parking really more important than anything else?