YIMBY Pod – formerly The Abundance Agenda

James and Martin talk about a new campaign to ban delivery robots – and why it may prefigure a future political realignment. And then we speak to Labour MP Dr Jeevun Sandher about his recent posts on good growth in every postcode , and how Britain’s growth problem isn’t what we think it is . James’s undercover reporting from his tour of the Amazon warehouse is here . Martin’s piece on ‘picky bits’...

James and Martin talk about some exciting new energy storage schemes to help us during the next heatwave. And we speak to Michael Hill from Britain Remade about Manchester’s theory of growth, and what the much-discussed ‘Manchesterism’ could actually be. James’s piece reflecting on the Londependence movement is here , and his argument for a Gamer’s Charter is here . Martin’s piece on ‘picky bits’...

We explore why has the government given Cherwell Council a big slap on the wrist? James tries to sell Martin on the idea that AI can fix the planning system… And then we speak to Paul Maltby from Faculty AI about how, well, he is using AI to fix the planning system. Paul Maltby’s blog post on Augmented Planning Decisions (APD) is here . James’s deep dive into Extract and APD is here . Martin’s new...

James and Martin discuss Zack Polanski’s claim that food is too expensive – and why politicians should face up to difficult trade-offs. And James makes himself popular by defending the poor, beleaguer mega-corporations that own supermarkets. And then we speak to the excellent Thomas Ableman about how Switzerland would have built HS2 – and why it wouldn’t have been a disaster. James’s post about Li...

James tries to persuade Martin that he’s solved the mystery of the National Data Library. And we speak to Andrew Hunter Murray about his big day out at the EV charging select committee! Andrew’s new book, Bad Deeds is out this week! Make sure you buy it ! James’s newsletter is here , and his post about the National Data Library is here . Martin’s newsletter is here , and his YouTube channel is her...

The government is proposing new measures to stop NIMBYs vexatiously taking energy projects to judicial review! And James tries to persuade Martin that space-based data centres aren’t a completely ridiculous idea. The Ben Thompson article making the case for space data centres is here . James’s newsletter is here , and his post about Japan (including the train-bus!) is here . Martin’s newsletter is...

On YIMBY Pod this week: * For the first time on the pod, James makes the case for liberating the Postcode Address File. * And we speak to Lord Mark Pack about how Secondary Legislation is a hidden problem that is slowing down the business of government. Mark’s excellent Lord’s Eye View newsletter is here , and The Week In Polls is here . James’s newsletter is here , and he’ll have a guest post up...

Martin reveals the extraordinary grip one Bedfordshire councillor has on BBC coverage of the new Universal theme park. And James speaks to Dan Mead from Labour Together about why nationalising Thames Water might not be the best use of the cash, when can build trams instead. Dan’s post about Thames Water is here . James’s newsletter is here , and he’ll have a guest post up by the time you’re readin...

James and Martin dig into some astonishing YouGov polling that reveals a huge gender gap in support for nuclear energy… and desperately try not to get cancelled while talking about it. And we speak to Tym Syrytczyk from the Institute for Driverless Transport to check in on Britain’s autonomous vehicle progress. James’s newsletter is here , and by the time you’re reading this, he’ll hopefully have...

James talks about Technology Secretary Liz Kendall’s speech last week, which essentially sets out Britain’s AI strategy – and he explains why the strategy is determined by some rather limited choices. And then we speak to Hannah Keenan , from the Institute for Government , who takes James to task over an incredibly bad take on the pod from a few weeks ago. James’s newsletter is here , and he’ll ha...

Why Green Party complaints about “industrial scale” solar farms are fundamentally unserious. Martin visits the actual Bat Tunnel – and returns with a crazy plot twist. And we speak to Dan Davies about his pitch for a less combative planning system, Build the Rail! Save The Snails! (Image credit: ANeely2020 on Wikicommons.) Dan Davies’s book, The Unaccountability Machine can be found here . James’s...

Why it’s patriotic duty to switch on our air conditioners this summer. The NIMBY battle against a cancer hospital. And we speak to Maxwell Marlow from TYI Strategy about why phone signal in Britain is so crap – and how we can fix it. James’s newsletter is here , and his latest is about his most left-wing opinion . Martin’s newsletter is here , and his latest video, visiting the actual Bat Tunnel,...

On YIMBY Pod this week: * James and Martin get unusually mad about the latest developments in the West Yorkshire team saga. We just want a tram! * Then James speaks to Andrew Greenway , a partner at Public Digital about his fantastic essay on fixing the Civil Service, titled ‘ In Permanence Crisis’ . Noah Vickers’ reporting on the West Yorkshire tram is here . James’s newsletter is here , his late...

On YIMBY Pod this week: * James talks about Tory plans for a ‘National Pothole Patrol’, and explains how AI can be used to detect potholes. * Martin tells the story of a big NIMBY campaign to save… a car park. * And we speak to Asif Ghafoor, CEO of BE.EV , about the bureaucratic and political challenges of rolling out electric vehicle charging infrastructure. James’s newsletter is here , his lates...

James gets annoyed his new build was saddled with old technology. Martin tells the story of the surprisingly futuristic British wine industry. And we speak to Thomas Ableman about his proposal for Mini-Switzerland , a plan that could make rural trains and buses… actually good?! James’s newsletter is here , his latest on our geospatial data mess is here. Martin’s newsletter is here , and his latest...

James talks about how Rachel Reeves’ plan to give mayor a slice of income tax could help get infrastructure built. Martin digs into two more BBC Local Democracy Reporting Service stories with an alarming NIMBY slant. And we speak to Simon Kaye , Director of Policy and Research at Re:State , about his new report , arguing for a more powerful London Mayor and fewer London boroughs! James’s newslette...

James argues that Reform’s idea about politicising the Civil Service could be good, and begs everyone not to hate him. Martin tells the maddening story of his local playground, and how two years on kids are still not allowed to use it. And we speak to Laurel Boxall and Neil Ross from Public First about text and data mining (TDM), aka the eternal AI/copyright debate. Laurel and Neil’s TDM report is...

James tells Martin the story of Open Safely , an incredible tool that scientists can now use to research country-wide NHS GP data. And we speak to energy policy guru Adam Bell , partner at Stonehaven, ex-head of the government’s energy strategy, and writer of the excellent Unbalancing Mechanism Substack about the wild complexity of pricing energy as we transition to Net Zero. James’s newsletter is...

On YIMBY Pod this week, James and Martin have good news for once: Cornwall might be about to become Britain’s lithium-and-geothermal powerhouse, and London is (finally) getting a pedestrianised Oxford Street — after years of institutional gridlock. Plus: a celebrity guest! James speaks to Prof. Chris Lintott (Oxford astrophysicist and The Sky at Night presenter) about looming UK science funding cu...

Arch-Remainer James discovers why re-aligning with Europe could spell doom for Britain’s critical fixes to how we build nuclear power plants. Martin updates us on the drama at Dobbins Lane in Wendover, and how HS2 and the council have landed on an insane solution to a stupid problem. And we speak to Phil Tinline about his fascinating new paper, Power Failure: A new theory of Power . James’s newsle...

How just one planning objection scuppered a neighbourhood battery storage project in Banbury – and what this says about how much money councils are wasting on vexatious complaints. Why Europe needs its own independent space launch capability if we want an abundant future. And we speak to Zion Lights , author of the new book Energy is Life , about how we’re already living abundant lives – and how w...

A new study casts doubt on whether AI really will be a big productivity boost, so Martin and James have their AI argument again. A small tweak in how the government determines value for money could have big implications for new infrastructure like railways. And we speak to Alexander Iosad and Eleni Arzoglou from the Tony Blair Institute about their fascinating new paper, Public Service Reform in t...

Martin bursts open the maddening story of how the new Universal theme park is worrying Anglian Water… and how nobody seems to have anticipated this? James talks about his big day grandstanding at the London Assembly’s Planning and Regeneration Committee – and explains how he was almost thwarted by a spider. And we speak to Eamonn Ives from The Entrepreneurs Network about his new research into the...

Martin digs into the NIMBY drama at Bristol Zoo… and then enters the lion’s den himself, and attends a meeting of his Parish Council. James goes full neoliberal shill talking about Darren Jones’ proposals for fixing the Civil Service. And we speak to policy guru Tim Leunig , Chief Economist at NESTA , to learn how he thinks about policymaking, and why we should build a massive electricity cable fr...

James argues the digital ID U-turn doesn’t deserve the hysterical coverage that Westminster lobby journalists have been giving it. Martin concludes the incredible story of a 17th century engineering project – and how it is weirdly similar to HS2 today. And we speak to transport guru Michael Dnes to break down the news that Northern Powerhouse Rail is back – and that there’s going to be a strangely...