Why people recommend it
The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton is a classic children's picture book that tells the story of a rural house that becomes gradually surrounded and eventually overwhelmed by the rapid expansion of a nearby city. On the episode Why Are Cities (Still) So Expensive? | Freakonomics Radio | Episode 435 of Freakonomics Radio, aired on January 19, 2023, Stephen Dubner brought up the story during a discussion about urban development. Dubner recounted the narrative arc of the book, describing how a charming house originally situated peacefully in the country is slowly engulfed over time by the encroachment of surrounding neighborhoods, towering apartment buildings, and an elevated train running directly in front of it. He utilized this literary reference as an illustrative metaphor to explain the complex historical processes of urbanization, real estate transformation, and how cities evolve physically around existing structures. The mention connected a beloved children's tale to broader economic and geographical themes regarding urban density and housing availability.
Who recommended it
- Stephen Dubner Recommended
Stephen Dubner — 1 mention
“once upon a time you might have read a book when you were a kid where there was a house in the country and then the house was surrounded by other houses and then eventually the house was surrounded by these tall apartment buildings and there was an elevated train in front of it and all this kind of stuff”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“Once upon a time you might have read a book when you were a kid where there was a house in the country and then the house was surrounded by other houses and then eventually the house was surrounded by these tall apartment buildings and there was an elevated train in front of it and all this kind of stuff”