[remarkEon]

>The Empire State Building was built in 15 months in 1932. It’s taken 12 years and counting to rebuild the World Trade Center. (Source: 36:00)

This is more a commentary on a broken and toxic local political and regulatory climate in New York City than a point about a lack of engineering innovation. Still, perhaps that's part of what he's talking about for some of his critiques.

[GuiA]

"Data from the National Safety Council from 1933 through 1997 indicate that deaths from unintentional work-related injuries declined 90%, from 37 per 100,000 workers to 4 per 100,000. The corresponding annual number of deaths decreased from 14,500 to 5100; during this same period, the workforce more than tripled, from 39 million to approximately 130 million."

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm4822a1.htm

[remarkEon]

I think you're trying to make the point that the reason for long construction timelines is directly linked to safety. In a way, that's indirectly supporting Thiel's point. Why can't we have both? I don't see a reason that we can't have a more responsive, swift building and infrastructure development and a safe construction environment.

[foxyv]

Safe, Cheap, Fast

Pick two.

[ajflkjasdf777]

There are quotes from the private developer of the site that initial delays were due to the first designs for the site not feeling "inspired". So they opened an international competition that stretched on.

Doesn't sound like it's entirely due to toxic local politics and regulations.