You're listening to an AirWave Media Podcast.

This is a high-risk investment and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong.

The world is constantly changing and transforming.

Cut through some of the noise with what's new with wired, a podcast that goes in depth on the latest news and technology and culture.

Their award-winning journalism will help you make sense of what's happening in the world.

Listen to what's new with wired wherever you get your podcasts.

That's what's new with wired wherever you get your podcasts.

This is Kickass News, I'm Ben Mathes.

Have you ever wondered what those bright, squiggly graffiti marks on the sidewalk mean?

Or stop to consider why you don't see metal fire escapes on new buildings?

Or pondered the story behind those dancing inflatable figures in car dealerships?

One podcast shines a light on those overlooked elements in the built environment and also happens to be one of my personal favorites that I listen to every week.

99% invisible is a big idea's podcast about small, seeming things.

Revealing stories baked into the buildings we inhabit, the streets we drive, and the sidewalks we traverse.

The show celebrates design and architecture in all of its functional glory and accidental absurdity within intriguing tales of both designers and the people impacted by their designs.

Now in a new book titled The 99% Invisible City, a field guide to the hidden world of everyday design,

99PI host Roman Mars and co-author Kurt Colstead, zoom in on the various elements that make our cities work, exploring the origins and other fascinating stories behind everything from power grids and fire escapes to drinking fountains and street signs.

And today I'm happy to welcome Roman back to the show to reveal why it's taken him a decade to finally write a 99% invisible book.

All of the thought that this design fan put into the look of his first book and some of the secret publishing considerations that determine everything from how many units get returned to whether or not a book gets sold by Costco.

We talk about the baseball player who outlasted his cell by date and became synonymous with stairs to nowhere and other useless architectural elements,

how the lost art of neon tube bending is making a comeback and how residents, local governments and more impact the look and character of a neighborhood.

For instance, Roman shares how taxes have played a role in the shape of buildings throughout history and the role that design plays in making our public spaces safer and our cities more pedestrian friendly during the current pandemic.

...