Of all the predictions that pundits have gotten wrong in recent decades, one of the most

compelling has to do with cities.

Cities were supposed to die out.

The proliferation of the automobile and that everyone would move to the suburbs never

come back.

The decline of urban manufacturing meant that the city itself would decline.

And then there's all the crime and noise and pollution and chaos cities are known for,

who on earth would ever want to live in any city?

As it turns out, just about everyone.

We're in the middle of an historic and wholly un-predicted rise in urbanization.

It's happening here in America and all over the world.

One problem, many of our cities are old, which means they're not exactly optimized for

the 21st century, and it's not so easy to retrofit an entire city.

So how about building a new city for the 21st century and beyond from scratch?

Our mission is to use technology to really redefine urban life in the 21st century.

Today on Frekenomics Radio, a look at the city of the future with a man who's been rebuilding

New York City for the past few decades.

A man some people call a modern-day Robert Moses, the controversial master builder of

decades past.

Look, I think if somebody says it in meaning that they got a lot done, then I think it's

a compliment.

I think if somebody says, oh, you did a lot of top-down planning and you displaced lots

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