The Great American Elevator Tragedy | The Mistakes Series
Summary
Malcolm Gladwell explores the "great American elevator tragedy," arguing that U.S. building codes make elevators prohibitively expensive and rare compared to Europe. He interviews Stephen Smith, who traces this issue to union practices and a specific 2004 code change by fire inspector Gregory Victor. Victor mandated larger elevator sizes for stretchers without assessing costs, inadvertently discouraging elevator installation in smaller buildings and reducing accessibility for many.
Topics discussed
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Introduction: Yimbyism and the elevator crisis
The history of the elevator and American innovation
Stephen Smith's research on building codes
Accessibility issues and the cost of stairs
Promo for Stateside with Kai and Carter
Labor unions and elevator assembly practices
Elevator size mandates and the 'perfect is the enemy' problem
Promo for Stateside podcast
The International Building Code and its origins
Gregory Victor's proposal for larger elevators
The cost impact of the new code and credits
Closing remarks and sponsor ads
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