Infill

On this episode of Infill, YIMBY Law’s Executive Director Sonja Trauss sits down with author Marc J. Dunkelman to tackle one of the biggest questions facing Americans today: why are we unable to build the infrastructure, housing, and public works that our communities so desperately need? Drawing from his new book, Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress — and How to Bring It Back, Dunkelman explores how even well-intentioned procedural reforms, community protections, and environmental reviews can create veto points that stall change, particularly in housing policy. They also delve into the shift in Americans’ connectedness that has impacted our political landscape, what tactics and reforms could cut through the red tape, and how housing advocates can push for structural shifts that unlock homebuilding, transit, and equity. Finally, Marc and Sonja explore the similarities and differences between Dunkelman’s thesis in Why Nothing Works and the thesis of Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson in their book, Abundance. In