this show once had an incredible premise, ethical backbone, and well produced, fascinating episodes…. now it’s just a glorified interview show for writers on their book tours and ad after ad after ad 😔sucks that they sold out so hard the backlog from years ago is life-changing though!!

Always loved this show, gosh dang did the Power Broker season have an impact on me. Hands down one of my new favorite books, absolutely changed the way I look at New York and politics at large. Now my friends are all reading it, so much gratitude for getting us into that and introducing me to Caro!

Who knew that design, in all its forms, is so central to everything we touch and everything that touches us? I’ve been listening for 10 years and am never bored with the show or tired of the host.

I like this show when I listen to it most of the time when it shows up in my feed. I think a lot of the episodes are interesting and well researched. What I don’t care for is the hosts extreme left political agenda that seems to permeate a lot of the episodes. I think this show would be a lot better if it was more objective and balanced, but it is clearly not. So if your politics are on the left side of things, and maybe even on the extreme left side of things, you will love this pod. If you’re more in the middle, or just someone who’s trying to keep an open mind this might not be the show for you.

I’m not an a—hole so I’m giving five stars for a decade of enjoyment. I’m glad Roman got a well-deserved payday for his work and love, but wow you can tell a difference once the pod got bought out. Take care of your people financially and take those advertising dollars while you can, before the advertisers figure it out.

Roman, I’ve been with you so I can remember at the end of the episode, “my boy Carver says:” And I think you were like in the shed or something and then it was beautiful downtown Oakland. Right? I don’t think I got your son’s name wrong but if I did, I apologize thank you so much for so many years of entertainment. I’ve been with you every step of the way, and you have helped me get through countless dinners by arriving, armed with some interesting story or beautiful enigma fresh off the Oakland airwaves. Sometimes I wonder how things have changed with major success. I can say it definitely doesn’t seem like it has corrupted you anyway we love you. Thank you so much and thank you Joe and everybody else who works for 99% invisible.

Love the pod but the exhaustive analysis of Power Broker is fanboy at least; obsessively overstated at worst-

This is a podcast for listeners seeking information on topics they never considered, but definitely should know about. Easy to listen to, well-researched, and always interesting. I throw these on when I’m walking, doing chores, or driving. My only suggestion is to please make even more 😭

No notes.

Feels a bit NPR-ish. Host makes needless political jabs constantly, and most are a reach. They add nothing to the show. The host is quite smug, which is off-putting.

OK, so stomaching Roman Mars’s smarminess was always part of the package. Which was fine – the storytelling really did make up for it (for the most part) However, shortly after the end of the “fiercely independent” era (he sold it to SiriusXM), it rapidly went downhill. More re-airings of past eps or airings of other podcasts – basically a lot of filler content. And as others have noted, the ad lengths have really gotten out of hand. There are still some fine eps – about 1 in every 4 are keepers – but it does feel like it’s being phoned in at this point. It’s a shame. But, hey, Roman still retains his upper-middle class smarm – so there’s that.

One of the best ‘start from the beginning’ shows. Most aren’t connected, but these stories dont get old.

Check out this podcast. You won’t regret it. My favorite episode is curb cuts. Now I see unintended benefits everywhere!

Like NPR and other shows with similar audiences, the vocal fry of the female hosts is quite difficult to listen to

I appreciate the unique perspective of this show, which presents topics from unconventional angles, enabling me to perceive the world and its elements in a fresh and different light.

This would be the best podcast if you could hear Roman Mars’ voice. Please stop whisper-talking and speak up!

I read the Power Broker about 10 years ago and it left quite an impression on me. I thoroughly enjoyed Roman and Elliott’s series. AND Robert Caro’s final appearance on the last show was excellent. Bravo and well done!!!

I’ve loved listening to the Power Broker series. I have not been reading along with the series but they made the intimidating book more approachable and appealing. Imagine my surprise when I learned an ebook version was finally available three months after it came out! I wish they had made a point of announcing that at the time.

Hi my name is Zephyr an I LOVE your show and was wondering if I could get a shoutout.

Roman is a thoughtful, funny storyteller who's passionate about exploring the built environment. I'm hooked--

Too bad the hosts giggle so much (at unfunny things). Reeks with Oakland hipster irony. Otherwise the subjects are often quite interesting.

Thanks to Roman and Elliott for this unexpected gem of a series! I had never read The Power Broker but bought and read it along with the relevant episodes. I grew up in the Bronx at the tail end of the Robert Moses era (i.e., the Fort Apache years), but I never knew the full story. Really fabulous guests, especially the interviews with Robert Caro himself. Best podcast series of the year!!

Is a masterpiece. Im unsure if I’ll ever get to read the book, but I’ve been loving the series inside the podcast and have started the audio book thanks to this podcast. Thanks for well produced and thoughtful work!

It’s great to listen along with reading this remarkable book. I will miss both when we finish. I was raised in LI near the city and probably was in the car with family on all those congested parkways, expressways and bridges. Yes, Roman’s side kick is an amusing and knowledgeable guy but a little too in love with his own comic talent, and Roman’s giggling is sycophantic and annoying. Cut to out, boys.

The content is great. The Power Broker is a classic and this podcast is a wonderful review. The only annoying aspect is all the giggling. If there were any way to filter it out, I would use that.

I only know the book from your podcast. Went to see this exhibit because of your podcast, and watched the Turn Every Page doc because of you. I feel so grateful to you both for doing what you have done.

Hellos Roman and Elliott, I am enjoying the Power Broker series however it is to my shock to hear you both say several time that there was any displacement of people for Central Park was build. Please do your research about Seneca Village and correct this omission. Truly a huge fan. Alison

I started listening to 99% Invisible because of Conan O'Brien. I'd always wanted to read The Power Broker and this podcast gave me the reason and motivation to start. It had been sitting on my shelf for years after all. After re-listening to episode one and hearing Robert Caro thank Roman and Elliot, it got me choked up. Listening to the sincerity of Caro's gratitude for what they were doing just filled my heart. Thank you so much for doing this. It means so much to me too.

I care about design, not your political opinions. Trump wins again because you still don’t understand this.

I love this show. I was disappointed, though that when discussing the global supply chain and the ascent of China in dominating manufacturing that it was not mentioned by the show how China was willing to pollute its rivers its air, had horrible labor practices all so that they could dominate world manufacturing. that should have been talked about. And also should have discussed how Clinton was willing to enter into that contract with China, full knowing their labor and environmental policies or lack there of, so as to curry favor with retail interests here in the US, who were a huge part of his campaign financing. The show’s silence on this important issue is disappointing.

There is nothing better than the sound of Roman Mars delighting in the minutia of the designed world. I’ve been listening to 99pi for years, and I have learned so much from all of the talented producers. Love the show, it’s a treasure.

Roman is an intelligent, well read, fluent and interesting podcaster. I always look forward to his shows. However, can't we be more creative than dropping F bombs in regular conversations? There's a lot of us that don't speak that way or have kids listening to it that we would prefer not speak that way. I know this guy has a much larger vocabulary than most, he certainly should be able to find some adjectives that work better than that word.

🐕💨

Excellent story lines and narrative. Keep up the great work!

I love 99PI and Roman Mars, but I'm writing to praise The Power Broker, a monthly series in the 99PI feed hosted by Roman Mars and Elliott Kalan. Each episode is over 2 hours long, so under normal circumstances, I would skip it. I subscribe to way too many podcasts and just aren't enough hours in a day to listen to every episode. But The Power Broker is SO worth the time. It's basically a recap and discussion of Robert Caro's 1974 Pulitzer Prize wining book of the same name, a few chapters at a time. "The Power Broker is a biography of Robert Moses, the transformative city planner of New York during the mid-1900s, who was obsessed with one thing: power" (from the description on Amazon.com). This description could make it sound boring for anyone who doesn't live in NYC, but it's actually fascinating, and the recap is frequently very funny. Each episode also features a discussion with a different guest who has some connection with the section of the book being discussed. I can't recommend this series enough.

I love 99pi but I really really really dislike when I click on a podcast and they have episodes of A DIFFERENT PODCAST. I hate it. 99pi is amongst the most guilty

They would be wise to keep their political opinions to themselves, I’m out.

Power Broker #9, his laughing throughout this sad episode is so very irritating and out of place!

SO many things to praise! First, the cleverness of the titles of the episodes, their playing with language, I find delightful and insightful—this one being no exception. Second, as always, I increased my store of knowledge—always enriching. Third, there was something new that I could connect with something else I already knew about, and thereby strengthened my understanding of a concept or a tendency or an issue. This time it was what I’ll call the cultural insensitivity of the HUD effort in the pueblo mentioned. It reminded me of a parallel instance years ago in Iraq when the U.S. government built housing for Iraqis that completely ignored their cultural context and therefore was very, as they, problematic for the Iraqis who moved into that housing. Well done, as always, 99 P I!

Sorry to hear about the passing of David Knowles. I never met him and he obviously never met me, but his reporting and this podcast he helped established has given a casual listener like me stability in a time of great global uncertainty. 10/10 would recommend this podcast. Top-tier reporting, often with special guests such as experts or folks on the front line. They break down complicated geopolitics and military jargon into terms that a layperson like me can understand. No other podcast comes close to making the information surrounding the war in ukraine accessible. Even their presentation of David's passing was professional and done thoughtfully. I would like to think that David Knowles would be proud of his work and its influence on the world. Listening from deep within the appalachians-keep up the good work!

Great news! The kindle edition is out in time for the 50th anniversary of the Power Broker. Our beloved author is a little grouchy about it. He likes us to turn paper pages. But he has made it possible for me to gobble up this wonderful book. (I think this podcast may have had an influence.) Like every good New Yorker, I’ve had The Power Broker on my book shelf for years. Something I’ll bet Mr. Caro doesn’t know is that during the pandemic when all meetings were held via zoom, it was important to have the book in the background. That said, I had never opened the book. Your podcast has changed that. Reading the book is not easy, although it is beautifully written and tells a compelling story. Why? It weighs 3.5 pounds—too heavy to read in bed. The font is pretty small—one needs good light and reading glasses. I found a stand to hold it and a third impediment arose—the pages won’t lie open. I thought to buy it again in kindle format, but no! Does anyone know why there is no kindle version? I persist and I love the book anyway. So, thank you.❤️

I want to like/listen, but Mars is chuckling at everything uttered so far. EVERYTHING. I’m pleased that he loves everything about this entire story but I have now removed my headphones & can no longer listen. I don’t know if it’s clever or funny yet Roman…you are stepping on the entire story. Let the listener enjoy it. Tremendously disappointed since I was saving this story for a trip.

stunning series. thank you.

I’m a long time listener to 99pi. This year deserves an extra shout out. I have a phobia of long books, but when I heard Roman’s pitch about why everyone should read The Power Broker I couldn’t resist. The Power Broker Breakdown series is worthwhile whether or not you’ve read the book. Co-host Elliot brings humor and insight to the enormous expanse of this book. It’s been one of the best listening experiences ever. And Not Built for This is another gem. This is perhaps the way we should talk about climate change. It’s personal and immediate. Less about global temperatures and parts per million, and more about the loss of a way of life. If you thought things were already hard, here’s how they will be even harder as we attempt to adjust to a world humanity has never experienced before. It’s a griping story.

So now doing this. So disappointing for long term listeners.

I loved the interview with Robert Caro

Love 99 percent invisible, but listening to this new show “not built for this” I believe it’s called, I’m skeptical of the host. He claims to be from Vermont, but as anyone from here would tell you, he pronounces “Vermont” incorrectly, that is to say, he pronounces it technically correct but not how virtually everyone in Vermont does. We, Vermonters, drop the hard “T” sound at the end, in favor of a soft or altogether absent “T” sound. Not quite “Vermon”, but close. It’s akin to pronouncing Oregon like “Ora-gone”, instead of “Ora-gin”, only out of staters say it like he does.

So clever and fascinating and relevant!

This is a wonderful podcast both for content, fact checking, audio engineering, and gives an unbiased view of both sides of some very complicated topics. Any leanings are opening discussed in a well considered discourse. I wouldn’t pay much heed to anyone who gives something a one star rant they’re almost never warranted and usually express their biases and a general misunderstanding of rating quality vs personal enjoyment.

It’s the only World Heritage City in the US. San Francisco is an open air toilet for homeless folks and home to some do the most arrogant and destructive tech bros on earth. Easy to see which is better and more of a world city.