The Prosperity Riddle

Daniel Wortel-London, author of The Menace of Prosperity: New York City and the Struggle for Economic Development, 1865–1981, joins Bradley to unpack a century of economic policy, arguing that elites have often undermined cities even as they claimed to save them—and that smarter, more inclusive development is still possible. The conversation ranges from subways and public housing to Zohran Mamdani’s prospects as mayor, asking whether technocratic competence, not ideology, is the real test for New York’s next era. Note that this episode was recorded shortly before Mamdani's election, and it was discussed as the likely outcome. This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio. Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: info@firewall.media. Be sure to watch Bradley’s new TED Talk on Mobile Voting at https://go.ted.com/bradleytusk. Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter and follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube.